The Lunar Swordsman
by HiCarl
Summary: Neglected by his family and village, Naruto leaves for a year and comes back completely different. IMPORTANT :Started with the intention of a neglect fic but doesn't really fall under the category so much anymore but still worth a read.
1. Prologue

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

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Konohagakure no Sato

All hell had broken loose as the most powerful biju in existence, the Nine-Tailed Kyuubi, was attacking the village of Konoha. The Kyuubi was about to destroy another district of the village when it noticed a figure on top of a tower. Standing ready to face the beast was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. As he stood he looked at the two infants that would receive the power of this incredible beast while it neared him. He thought back at how his replacement, Minato Namikaze, tried to argue to let him do what was about to be done. He chuckled and watched as the Kyuubi came closer. For some odd reason his thoughts drifted to the infant not being involved in this ritual, Naruto.

Before he could gather any more thoughts about the baby, the Kyuubi roared and went to slash at Sarutobi with his claws. Smiling, Hiruzen Sarutobi made one last hand sign and let the Death God, the Shinigami himself, arise to take his soul and the Kyuubi's chakra saving the village. As Hiruzen died, his last thoughts once again lingered on the first born child of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

Naruto.


	2. Leaving the Leaf

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR THE CHARACTERS OF NARUTO**

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Chapter 1

In the backyard of the Namikaze estate, Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki were teaching their son Menma and daughter Narumi the different techniques in their arsenal. While the training was serious, the family was enjoying its outing as any complete family should. The only problem was that the family wasn't complete. Staring at the "perfect family" from his room window, ten year old Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze sat watching and letting thoughts of the past resurface.

* * *

 _Flashback 3 years Ago_

Naruto sat with his brother and sister beside him anxiously waiting for his parents who had told them they had a big announcement. His mind was going crazy just thinking about what it would be but deep down he knew what the announcement was. Their training would begin today. This would be a welcome change because lately his life had been going downhill. Naruto had started to realize that his siblings' wants were taking precedence over his all day everyday. He at first believed he was just overthinking things but soon discarded that after seeing how the villagers treated his family with respect but ignored him. The very same could be said about his godparents.

Jiraiya would come by when he could to see his godchildren and teach them a few things while he was there. He spent most of his time with Menma and had stated on many occasions that he couldn't wait until he could take him as an apprentice. Not once had he spoken to Naruto.

Tsunade lived in Konoha and worked as head of the hospital so she made an appearance much more often but spent her time mostly around Narumi and treated her the same way that Jiraiya treated Menma. Another "godparent" that had never spoken to Naruto.

Minato and Kushina walked into the room bringing Naruto out of his thoughts to make their announcement.

Minato stepped forward and spoke. "Now kids, your mother and I have discussed this and we both feel that it is time to teach you our family techniques and begin your training. I will train you in ninjutsu and taijutsu while your mother will train you in the use of chakra chains, kenjutsu, and controlling the Kyuubi's chakra" he finished with a smile which quickly turned to a frown as his oldest raised his hand.

"Yes Naruto?" Minato asked disinterestedly.

Naruto frowned for a second at his father's tone but continued. "Will I be involved in this family training too?" he asked.

Minato turned to look at Kushina who frowned and then back at Naruto. "No Naruto, you will wait until the Academy and learn the basics there. Your siblings have to learn to control the Kyuubi's chakra so we won't have time to teach you as well" he answered making Naruto's emotions begin to rise.

"Well what about having a clone teach me or leave me a scroll or something I-" "Naruto stop! Your father and I decided this together. You will wait until the academy is that clear?" asked Kushina harshly.

Naruto curled his fists and nodded silently.

 _End Flashback_

That moment in his life showed him that his parents cared more for his brother and sister but it was another moment that showed him that they simply didn't care about him.

 _Flashback Namikaze triplets 10th birthday_

Naruto was sitting in a back corner of the living room watching as all of the guests conversed and gave their presents to his brother and sister. After so many years of the same old thing, it didn't affect Naruto as much, but it still hurt him. To know that he could die and no one would care was a horrible realization that Naruto just wasn't ready to accept. At least not yet. All the guests stopped talking when their Hokage and his father stepped forward.

"I would first like to thank everyone for coming to my children's birthday party. I believe that my sensei Jiraiya and Tsunade have something for you two before I make my announcement" he said looking at Menma and Narumi while moving to the side.

Everyone watched as both Jiraiya and Tsunade walked towards the two with large scrolls in their hands and smiles on their faces.

"Menma, I have watched you grow up and am proud to be able to offer you the Toad Contract which will help you immensely with your future career as a shinobi" he said with a smile handing the contract to an excited Menma.

Immediately afterwards, Tsunade walked up to Narumi. "Narumi you will be a great ninja in the future and I would be honored if you would sign the Slug Contract to help you in you future career" she said to Narumi who practically snatched it out of her hands.

After all the clapping and cheering was done, Minato stepped up.

"Now I have an announcement that affects both of you. As of now Narumi will become the heir to the Uzumaki clan and Menma will become heir to the Namikaze clan" he finished with a smile next to his wife. Before anything could be said or anyone could cheer, the sound that broke the brief silence was that of glass breaking. As everyone looked back to find the source of the sound, they were surprised to see Naruto with a broken glass being held tightly in his hand and a look of pure rage on his face.

Saying nothing, he stomped up to his room and slammed the door. The party resumed shortly after.

 _End Flasback_

It was now nighttime as he had spent all day reminiscing about his past. Chuckling, he thought that it was a bit ironic that all the memories he had of this place would make it easier to initiate his plan to leave.

* * *

It was now midnight and everyone was sleeping. Naruto sneaked out of his house and headed for the gate. He had planned everything out. All he had to do was escape the clan compound which was easy enough. Next he would have to distract the guards long enough for him to escape. Lucky for him he had the perfect jutsu needed. It was simple really, he just created a shadow clone which he learned by watching his father teach his siblings. The shadow clone after being created, immediately ran to alert its presence to the guards. Five seconds is all it took for the two guards to completely abandon their posts and chase after the clone. With them gone and the clone under orders not to dispel until it had bought enough time, Naruto rushed out of the front gate of Konoha leaving the place in which he was never acknowledged.


	3. Rise of a Swordsman

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS**

 **Please Review and Hope You Like It**

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Forest in Fire Country

Naruto was walking through the forests still in the Land of Fire. It had been one month since he had left Konoha and he already viewed it as an improvement. As he moved through the woods, he heard the sound of metal clashing. Sneaking towards the sound, he peeked from behind a tree and watched as a group of bandits were attacking a blue haired woman all at once. As they attacked, she struck them down with her sword which was a long, thin, silver blade with a golden hand guard. Moving quickly from opponent to opponent, she ended it by spinning quickly with her sword slicing anyone who came near her. Naruto watched in awe at her skill

After the last bandit had fallen, she looked around and then fell to a knee panting. As she regained her breath, she looked up and towards the tree that Naruto was hiding behind. She sighed as Naruto quickly stopped peeking and hid behind the tree.

With his eyes closed, he kept quietly chanting "Please have not seen me. Please have not seen me." "You know, if you want to hide better, it might be best not to talk out loud" the blue haired sword wielder suggested interrupting his chant.

Opening his eyes, Naruto got a better look at the woman. She was about six feet tall, slim, and had long blue hair that reached past her shoulders but was tied in a single braid. A grey skin tight jumpsuit covered her. She looked to be about twenty. Her sword sat in its sheathe on her hip. Finally he looked into her eyes. He was shocked that he saw a warmth and kindness being directed towards him as it was a new experience. He was silent as she smiled at him.

"So kid, what are you doing out here?" she asked softly.

"Um, nothing really, I was just walking that's all" Naruto replied quickly which made the woman roll her eyes.

"You know kid, you are a very bad liar but I guess I'll let it slide for now. So tell me kid what's your name?" she asked.

Naruto pouted a little at being called a liar but responded to her question sensing no malice from her. "My name is Naruto".

The bluenette giggled at his pout. "Well Naruto, I'm Sera nice to meet you" she said holding out her hand. Naruto took it shaking the whole time. Sera noticed this and decided to clarify everything. "Look Naruto, what you just saw, you don't have to worry about me doing that to you. That" she said pointing to the many bodies that lay behind her, "was self defense." Naruto nodded quickly. Though he was shaken up from seeing his first massacre, he still was in awe at her skill. As she started walking away, an idea came to mind.

"Teach me" Naruto yelled out which made Sera stop in her tracks. Looking at the ground she was silent for a whole minute before turning around to answer him.

"Why?" she asked looking into his eyes to determine if his answer would be truthful or a lie to appease her.

Naruto looked at her and replied with a fire in his eyes. "I want to be acknowledged, respected, and appreciated. I want to show everyone that I am worth looking at" he answered no longer just answering her but himself as well.

Sera crossed her arms in thought and picked up on what he said in his speech. "What about your parents, family, friends, home?" she asked interested in his answer.

Naruto clenched his fist but his gaze never wavered. "I have no one that I can call a friend and my village and "family" refuse to even act like I exist. The way I see it I have nothing to lose and everything to gain" he said with a smirk.

Sera looked at him for a long moment before laughing loudly. "Kid I will admit that you've got guts to see someone kill a bunch of guys and then ask to join them" she responded with a smile. "Alright kid, come on."

Naruto smiled his first genuine smile in a long time and rushed over to the woman.

* * *

 _Time Skip 1 Year_

Forest in Fire Country

"You're putting to much force into it and it's making you to slow" chastised Sera as she fought blade to blade with her apprentice Naruto. "Yeah I know, I guess I'm just excited for tonight" he said with a smile before blocking a slash from his blue haired teacher and jumping away from her. Sera rolled her eyes at his remark. "I know but for now you need to focus because I could have been done killing you by now. You're better than this so show me" she yelled hoping it got through to her student who had quickly become like a brother to her.

"Fine then" he yelled back before gathering his katana in a reverse grip smirking. Sera pulled her sword near her face with a smirk as well as the two prepared for a swordsman's end. Faster than one could see, the two appeared on the opposite side of each other not facing each other. Both held their stances until Naruto fell to his knees with a slash across his bare chest. Sera smiled before she unexpectedly fell with a weaker slash across her stomach that tore through her jumpsuit.

"Aw dammit not again" Sera shouted before going over to check her shirtless apprentice who was catching his breath. Walking behind his kneeling form, she put her sword to his neck and whispered "I win".

 _Time Skip Midnight_

"Well, looks like it's about time" Sera announced to Naruto who was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Over the past year the boy had grown. Now the eleven year old stood at 5 feet tall and was as muscular as an eleven year old could be. He had learned a lot from Sera who was just one in a line of legendary swordsmen. She was the tenth swordsman and her title was the "Aqua Knight" as her sword and herself grew more powerful in the water. When it came to sword skills, no one was near as good as one who received their title the way Sera did. This line of swordsmen were always the best and soon Naruto would join as the eleventh swordsman. Throughout the training, Naruto learned every special technique of each of the previous swordsmen in their unnamed group from Sera as she had learned from the ninth swordsman. It took him very little time to learn all she knew which reinforced Sera's multiple conclusions that the boy was special. She taught him chakra control sensing, and usage but did not teach him jutsu. Sera sighed and looked at Naruto who was staring at the sky. Tonight he would receive his individual sword which would make him almost unbeatable in swordsmanship.

When the clouds moved and the moon shined bright, Naruto felt something in him telling him to reach out. When he did, he watched as a flash blinded Naruto from seeing his outstretched hand. When the light died down, Naruto was holding his sword. His real sword.

The blade itself was huge. It was about five feet in length and half as thick as Naruto's body. The blade was curved in a way that heavily resembled a crescent moon. The color of the blade was black with the sharp side of the blade a shining silver. The handle was pure gold with a crescent moon in the center.

As Naruto admired it, Sera decided to speak up. "So you've attained your title. Naruto you now hold the title "The Lunar Soldier" as it has been made evident by you're blade" Sera said seriously as Naruto paid close attention to her.

"Now you are probably wondering how you are holding something like that so easily" she said smiling when he nodded yes. "That is your sword and will be answer to you and you only. It has perfect balance and you will be able to lift it in any way because it answers to you. Now unlike my sword, your sword is a defensive sword as you can see by the shape and size" she explained. "I understand master" Naruto said as he kneeled which shocked Sera since she had never been called master, just "teacher" or "sis". Smiling she told him to get up and follow her.

As Naruto rose with his sword still in hand, he remembered what Sera had told him about this moment and about summoning his sword. Smiling, he flicked his sword up into the sky and it vanished waiting to appear when it was called upon again. He followed Sera to a nearby lake. Sera looked at him with proud eyes. "I knew you were special from the day I met you Naruto. In this past year I've watched you grow and have taught you everything I know. Now there is one thing left for me to give you" she said smiling and cut the right sleeve off of her jumpsuit revealing a tattoo of a dragon wrapped around her arm.

Naruto watched as Sera bit her left thumb and rubbed the blood on the tattoo which glowed and mist covered the ground and water. As the water began thrashing and the ground began shaking, Naruto watched as a giant dragon like serpent rose from the water. The creature was bluish grey with an ocean blue head and piercing yellow eyes.

Sera smiled as she looked upon her summon. The Serpent Lord of the Ocean, Leviathan. He was three times the size of Jiraiya the Sannin's summon Gamabunta and could defeat even the mightiest biju. Of course the serpent had not revealed its full size which would be to much for a lake to handle. The Serpent moved its head down to meet the two.

"Sera, it has been a long time" Leviathan commented as softly as a giant water serpent could.

"Hello old friend, I am sorry for my absence but it's time" she responded with a small smile while Leviathan slowly nodded.

Naruto who was watching in awe of the greatness that was before him, he was brought out of his wonder by Sera. "Naruto, I would like for you to sign the Water Serpent Contract but only if you want to." Sera smiled as she could tell he wanted to jump up in joy but stayed respectful in the presence of the great beast that watched the events that were to unfold. Nodding quickly, she instructed him to apply his blood to her tattoo in order to become a summoner. When he did, the tattoo glowed then disappeared off of her arm. Before Naruto could ask where it went, he felt a searing pain on his right bicep as the tattoo that was formerly on Sera has transferred itself to Naruto's arm. Looking down, he regained his composure at seeing the tattoo on his arm.

"Does this mean that I am a summoner?" he asked expectantly. Sera nodded. Leviathan then saw the need to explain the contract himself so he turned his gaze solely on Naruto who immediately focused on what the Serpent Lord had to say. "The Water Serpent Contract is one that cannot be held on a simple scroll so we form our contract on the summoner's body. We are one of the most powerful creatures in existence so you must summon us accordingly. We do not fight small skirmishes. Our abilities are not limited by water, we can also be summoned on land as well. You may summon us using the standard handsigns for a summon but it will cost you more chakra than most summons. We will only allow one summoner at a time and the only way it can be passed on is willingly by the current summoner. Now child, make the handsigns and summon your personal Serpent."

Naruto nodded and did as asked. Instead of smoke appearing which was normal for summons, mist swarmed into a mini tornado causing Naruto to look away. When he looked back, he was staring at a serpent about half the size of Leviathan but looked almost identical to him.

"Greetings, I am Levios, son of Leviathan, and your personal summon" he said with a grin revealing a mouth full of teeth that could cut through steel like a knife through butter. Naruto liked him immediately.

"Hello Levios, my name is Naruto and I am honored to be able to summon you" he said both respectfully and excitedly to the shocking amusement of the two Serpents who then left in a bed of mist but not before looking up at the clouded sky.

Right when Naruto was about to ask where they went, his senses went on alert and he jumped just in time as Sera missed with her sword.

"Sera what are you doing?" a confused Naruto yelled out.

Sera stood tall. "Naruto, tonight you became the eleventh swordsman, the Lunar Soldier, and the Water Serpent Summoner. In order to complete this, you must kill me in this battle right here right now" she responded as rain started to fall.

Naruto stood there with tears in his eyes as the rain started falling. "NO! You're all I have. Without you, I'm all alone. I won't kill you. I REFUSE!" he shouted letting his tears run.

Sera hated to do this to Naruto, he was so innocent, yet she was going to thrust him into a cruel and unforgiving world with no one. But she would be damned if she didn't give her most precious person the strength to make it in this world. "Naruto you must fight me with everything you have in order to attain your full potential. Once you do, then I will know that you will be safe. I know you don't want to do this and I'm sorry for thrusting you into this but it must be done" she said crying. "NOW FIGHT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE OR I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" she yelled and ran towards him.

Listening to her reasoning strengthened his resolve and he called his sword. When the blade appeared in his hand he ran towards Sera and the two clashed blades.

Fighting with everything they had, the two slashed at each other as the rain fell harder. While Sera was faster, Naruto had reach and power. As the two fought, Naruto drove Sera away from the water which would have given her a huge advantage and further into the forest. Eventually the two came to a standstill holding their blades against each other but Sera twisted her body to land a strike at his leg forcing him down.

"Well I guess you won't be able to beat me. Shame, guess I'll have to look for someone else" she said frowning disappointingly but the frown was replaced with a small smile at her student's next words.

"Look up teacher" he responded. When Sera looked up, she saw the full moon and knew it was over. The next thing she felt was a mix of pain and pride as she looked down to see Naruto's blade driven into her chest. As she fell, Naruto caught her and laid her down.

Naruto watched as the life left his teacher's eyes. Sera died with a smile but it was little consolation. Naruto didn't fight the tears that came and repeatedly cursed himself and Sera that night. When morning arrived, Naruto left the battle scene with a heavy heart. Sera was given an ocean burial by Naruto and the Water Serpent Leviathan. Now it was time for Naruto to return to Konoha.

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 **Author's Note: I know that its hard to get attached to Sera considering how short of an appearance she makes. I don't know of any anime characters named Sera but if there are I'm not surprised but I didn't base her off anything. There isn't a name for swordsman like Sera and Naruto and Naruto only knows shadow clone jutsu.**


	4. Return of Naruto

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS**

 **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**

Response to Phantomsoul2015: I never watched Helsing but I've heard of it and Seras. Though I don't know Seras' personality, I see the similarities in the name. Thanks for letting me know.

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Konohagakure no Sato

Minato sat in his office fighting every kage's worst enemy. Paperwork. Deciding to take a short break, he got out of his seat to turn around and look at the village of Konoha. He smiled as he watched everyone going about their day as usual. That smile disappeared when his eyes landed on a family of three having a picnic. Just the mother, father, and son sitting with a basket. This sight cut into Minato's heart. He thought back to when his family's life fell apart.

 _Flashback 1 month after Naruto has left_

Minato, Kushina, Narumi, Menma and come into the living room of the house after finishing training.

"You two made some great progress today, so how about I take the whole family to Ichiraku's for ramen" suggested Minato almost having to cover his ears at the children's response of "RAMEN!".

He smiled and then thought about the one person missing. Naruto. The two hadn't spent much time together lately so he decided in that moment that a lunch with the family would be a good start to getting more familiar with his son.

"Okay well everyone wait here while I get Naruto" Minato said shocking Kushina because she too had forgotten him so easily. Meanwhile Menma and Narumi looked at each other then started laughing.

"Very funny dad, that failure's gone" Menma said laughing while his sister did the same. Minato frowned as did Kushina. "What do you mean gone? Is he at a friend's house?" Kushina asked which only served to make the two laugh harder. Narumi finally calmed down enough to answer her mother. "Friends? Who would want to be friends with that loser? He's been gone. Hopefully he's gone for good" she said smiling.

Minato and Kushina shared a look of horror before Minato flashed out of the house and into his office where he called for a search for his son done by his best ANBU.

After three months, he was forced to call off the search.

 _End Flashback_

Minato realized how bad he had neglected Naruto but couldn't do much so he entrusted the search to his sensei Jiraiya who held regret in his heart as well. When word made it around the village, the overall feeling was regret and sadness because they never took the time to even notice the Hokage's first born.

Kushina took it hardest. Ever since he left, she lost her happy joyful demeanor. She continued to train her children but they were forbidden from bad mouthing Naruto. She slept in Naruto's room every night, crying herself to sleep.

During the training of their two remaining children, Minato and Kushina began to see exactly who their children were. They were arrogant as everywhere they went, they flashed their name and demanded what they wanted. They were selfish as they never even tried to help others in need. After discovering this, Minato and Kushina realized what a horrible mistake it had been to take being clan heir away from their son. With that, they promised that when Naruto returned, they would treat him the way he should have been treated. Respect and love that every child deserved from their parent.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking. Getting back in his seat, he announced that whoever wished to enter may do it now.

His jaw dropped when one of his chuunin entered with the boy who had been clouding his thoughts since he realized he left. His son. Naruto.

"Lord Hokage, this boy claims that he wishes to join our village and wished to speak with you" the chuunin explained earning a glare from Naruto for his boy comment.

Minato quickly nodded. "Thank you, you may go now and tell my secretary that we are not to be disturbed" he ordered never taking his eyes off of his son.

When the chuunin left, Minato immediately went to Naruto to hug him but was stopped when he held up a hand halting him. "I'm afraid that I must ask that we keep this meeting professional and brief Lord Hokage" Naruto said coldly causing Minato to flinch and his heart to break a little. He nodded sadly and motioned for Naruto to take a seat. As Minato looked over his son, he realized how tall he was and how mature he looked. Naruto was the spitting image of his father. Naruto was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with dark blue pants, black fingerless gloves and black boots.

Both seated, Minato asked the question that had been on his mind for the past year and a half. "Naruto, where have you been son?" he asked. Naruto stiffened before responding. "I have been training in the forests of Fire Country and believe that I am ready to take the genin exams with this year's class. While I do not know any jutsu except for the shadow clone jutsu, the transformation jutsu, and the substitution jutsu, my other skills should put me well above qualified to take and pass the test" he said. Naruto had decided that while he wouldn't hide his skills, he wouldn't brag or explain them unless prompted to do so.

Minato furrowed his brow when he heard Naruto's explanation. "Are you sure son? The class that will be graduating this year is mainly composed of clan heirs so it might be difficult to pass and there's also the fact that you've received no formal training" Minato stopped when Naruto leveled a cold glare at him.

"While I appreciate your concern Lord Hokage, I assure you that I will pass regardless of my opposition" he spat.

Minato sighed. Maybe he should let his son take the test. After all, the worst that could happen is that he wouldn't pass. Making his decision, he nodded and told him that he would see to it that Naruto was allowed to take the genin exam and that the academy would actually begin in a few minutes. Minato wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Naruto telling him that it would get him in for the exam. He also suggested that the two walk together but Naruto quickly declined before getting up and making his way to the academy. Minato sighed sadly, but quickly smiled. His son was back and no matter how long it took, he would get him back.

* * *

Konoha Ninja Academy

Iruka Umino was giving a speech to his students before he started the genin exam when a blonde boy walked in handing him a note from the Hokage himself. He was too busy reading the note to look at who had given it to him. After reading the note, Iruka's eyes went wide before looking at the boy who had taken his seat in the back corner of the room away from everyone else.

"Okay class, we have someone who will be taking the exam with us today. Everyone welcome Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze" he said before a kunai flew near and cut his cheek.

"Just Naruto will do" Naruto said with no emotion. After this display, everyone was watching him, two children in particular. Narumi and Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze were fuming that the worthless nobody of a brother was back.

"Iruka-sensei, why does he get special treatment" whined a boy named Kiba who obviously thought it was not fair that he had to sit through Iruka's boring lectures for years but this kid comes in and gets to take the genin test without such torture.

"Naruto has a note from the Hokage himself allowing it so be quiet Kiba. Now the exam has three parts which will be tested through taijutsu matches, ninjutsu demonstration, and the paper test you are receiving now" explained Iruka while his assistant Mizuki finished handing out the last of the exams. "Now that everyone has their test, begin!" shouted Iruka.

It took Naruto ten minutes to complete the pitiful excuse of an exam and he was forced to wait for another fifty minutes while everyone else finished before they were led outside. The academy training ground had a wooden board that ranked the students in who was best at taijutsu. Naruto scanned the board and was surprised to see that his idiot siblings held the top spots. Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when Iruka asked for volunteers to begin the taijutsu portion. Menma quickly volunteered but not before issuing a challenge.

"I want to fight Naruto. Maybe then he'll realize how pathetic he really is" all the while smirking while the rest of the students quickly agreed.

"Naruto do you accept Menma as your competitor" Iruka asked gaining a short nod in response.

As Naruto and Menma entered the ring, Naruto knew what would happen. Today, he would humiliate his "brother" in front of all of his friends. Today, he would show Menma how much of a child he truly was in this adult world.

When Iruka gave the signal, Menma quickly started attacking Naruto thinking it would be over quick. His confidence quickly died after his pathetic brother dodged his strike. Then the next, and the next, and the next. Finally Naruto had enough. He dodged one last punch by simply moving to the side and quickly planted his fist in Menma's stomach raising him off the ground. With Menma still on his arm, Naruto spoke.

"Years of training from two of the famous Sannin, the last Uzumaki from Whirlpool, and perhaps the most powerful Hokage in Konoha history, and THIS is what you have to offer. I must say that I am thoroughly disappointed, especially since you are supposed to be the best in your class at taijutsu. Well its my turn now but don't worry, I'll make it quick" Naruto said coldly before throwing him ten feet off the ground. When Menma started falling and reached about three feet from the ground, Naruto swung his leg right into the side of his head sending him flying into a nearby tree.

Everyone was at a loss for words. The son of the Hokage had just been destroyed by the clan reject. Iruka quickly declared Naruto the winner and told Mizuki to take Menma to the hospital. As the matches went on, Iruka couldn't stop thinking about Naruto. He had been playing with Menma the whole time and Iruka could see that Naruto hadn't even tried. Three moves and Menma was out and he knew that the kick Naruto used was not even half of the strength that he could have used. That type of power in someone so young scared Iruka but not as much as the dead look in Naruto's eyes throughout the match.

Eventually the taijutsu matches were over and the students were led back into the classroom. No one spoke. The way that Naruto had finished Menma like he was nothing was more than a little unnerving and made everyone keep their distance. As they all sat down and waited for their names to be called for the next demonstration, no one spoke. Naruto's name was the first one called. Naruto calmly rose from his seat and followed Iruka into the next room.

"Okay Naruto, I need you to make three clones, use the substitution jutsu, and use the transformation jutsu" Iruka stated somewhat nervously. Naruto just rolled his eyes and began. Making three shadow clones, substituting himself with a nearby chair, and transforming into Iruka, he took his headband ignoring the congratulations of Iruka.

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 **Author's Note:** Sorry if it seems a little rushed, but I wanted to move on to work on team placement and mission to wave chapter as quick as possible.


	5. Prodigal Encounter

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

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Naruto walked out of the academy with his headband tied around his arm. As he appeared outside, he noticed all of the families waiting for their child to come out with their headbands. There was Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Chouza Akamichi and their wives, Tsume Inuzaka, Mikoto Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, along with a few other civilian parents waiting for their children. The looks of surprise amused Naruto and almost shocked him because he didn't think anyone knew who he was. He continued walking as the adults made way for him to leave.

Naruto started making his way to the Hokage's Tower. It was time that he live on his own and to do that he would have to clear it with his former father. Thinking about it, Naruto knew that Minato and Kushina may feel a bit of remorse, but it was too late. Though it had only been about two years since he was living here, so much had changed. He wasn't a kid anymore, Sera had made sure that he knew that before he attained his title. His title was also something that had been on his mind lately. He knew that he was one of the most skilled swordsman in the elemental nations already, all he needed now was to gain experience and let his name grow. That was the only reason he was in Konoha.

Brought out of his thoughts by his realization that he had made it to the tower, he entered and proceeded to walk up the stairs to the Hokage's office. As he neared the door, he realized that the secretary was not there and he started to hear yelling. Coming up to the open office door, he was greeted with the sight of Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze yelling at her husband.

"I want my son on my team Minato. I haven't seen Naruto in over a year. I've missed so much and I'll be damned if I miss anymore of his life so put him on my team" Kushina yelled.

"I must disagree Mrs. Namikaze" said Naruto alerting the two to his presence as he walked into the office. Kushina's eyes immediately watered upon seeing the boy she had neglected for so long. Shaking out of her stupor, she started to run to hug her son but was held back by Minato who simply shook his head confusing and infuriating her greatly until she realized how Naruto had addressed her. Mrs. Namikaze.

When Kushina stopped struggling, Minato quickly smiled. "Naruto, how was the exam?" he asked making way to his chair to sit down as Naruto did the same.

"Disappointing, Lord Hokage, most notably in the form of Menma. But I'm sure that Tsunade will make sure he is perfectly well" Naruto said coldly.

Both Minato and Kushina frowned. They both along with help from Jiraiya and Tsunade had trained both Menma and Narumi to be formidable opponents for most chunin yet Naruto spoke as if Menma was a simply a waste of time. Their concerns were interrupted when Naruto began to speak again.

"As for your suggestion Mrs. Namikaze, since I will be labeled as dead last for lack of attendance, I must be placed on the same team as the rookie and kunoitchi of the year. And though Menma and Narumi are at the top of the board in terms of combat, I doubt that their test grades match, isn't that right Lord Hokage?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

Minato sighed knowing that his son was right. "That's correct. I don't have the final results for everyone yet, but it looks like the rookie of the year will be Sasuke Uchiha and the kunoitchi of the year will be Hinata Hyuga" Minato said tiredly. He and Kushina had stressed to their children that book smarts were important, but it never took unfortunately. "Well Naruto what can I do for you right now?" he asked trying to figure out why his son was here.

"Lord Hokage, I was wondering if you could tell me of any apartments for sale" he asked causing both Minato and Kushina's eyes to widen.

"What are you talking about Naruto? You live at the compound with us. You can't leave, you're too young to live on your own" Kushina yelled.

Naruto simply rolled his eyes and pointed to his armband. "This means that I am considered an adult and it is also highly irregular for a non-clan member to live at a clan compound" he said confusing Minato and Kushina.

"What do you mean? You're still part of our clan with or without that armband" said Kushina.

Naruto only shook his head. "No, in accordance to Konoha Clan Law, once the title of heir is removed from said heir, they are hereby removed from that clan" replied Naruto without emotion.

At this point, Kushina started crying and Minato felt ashamed.

"Are you sure about this Naruto?" Minato asked.

"Very sure Lord Hokage" he replied coldly.

After staring at his son for a few moments, Minato sighed and started writing down the address for an apartment in Konoha's red light district and handed it to Naruto who took it and left with a simple bow. As Kushina continued to cry about losing her baby boy, he just prayed that Naruto would someday accept them back.

* * *

Time skip eight hours

Naruto was currently walking through the red light district of Konoha after just making an agreement to live in a nearby apartment with the landlord. As Naruto continued to explore the area, he sensed a follower. Smiling to himself he started walking out of the way of the buildings and businesses until he finally came to a forest. After a few minutes of walking through the forest, he stopped. Without turning around, he spoke.

"You should know that following me is not the smartest decision" he said then turned towards the area of the intruder.

He was surprised when his follower revealed himself to be Itachi Uchiha.

"And why is that" Itachi asked with his arms crossed.

Naruto chuckled. "You are the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi Uchiha, correct?" he asked getting no answer. "Would you do me the honor of sparring with me so that I may see for myself how much of a prodigy you are?" he asked seriously.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "It would be much too dangerous for you to fight me" he replied trying to figure the boy out.

Naruto smiled. "Oh trust me Itachi, it won't be too dangerous for me" he replied looking up. "Beautiful night isn't it? A full moon. I need to understand where I stand in this village Itachi, so I must insist" Naruto said before reaching out his hand. To Itachi's surprise, a flash of light appeared in Naruto's hand and when it died, in its place was a large sword that seemed like it would be impossible for Naruto to even lift with both arms much less hold it in one hand.

Itachi looked at Naruto one more time before making his decision. Looking in Naruto's eyes, he saw confidence and power. So out of curiosity, he reached back and unsheathed his ANBU tanto and activated his sharingan which brought a smile to Naruto's face.

"I recommend that you go all out" yelled Naruto before vanishing. Itachi looked around before hearing a voice behind him. "Or you might just die" said the voice causing Itachi to quickly turn around and bring up his tanto just in time to block a downward strike from Naruto's massive sword. The single strike caused Itachi's arms to go numb from the force behind the blow. Just as fast as the blow came, it disappeared and before Itachi could react, Naruto was behind him and used his sword's blunt side to hit Itachi's back sending him flying about six feet away before he hit the ground. Itachi quickly jumped up and barely dodged a swipe from Naruto's sword. Gaining proper footing, Itachi looked for an opening to attack but was finding none as Naruto started to advance his attacks onto Itachi forcing him on the defensive. It was taking every bit of skill Itachi had to block each slash from Naruto. Eventually, Naruto slowed his attacks and Itachi took full advantage by attacking an opening that was left by Naruto on his left side only for Naruto to quickly vanish and appear behind him. Once again, Naruto hit Itachi in the back with the blunt side of his sword knocking the Uchiha face down on the ground. As Itachi lie there, Naruto jumped a few feet back and looked at him.

"I must say Itachi, you are the second prodigy that I have faced today and for the second time I am disappointed. Though I suppose kenjutsu isn't really your expertise is it?" Naruto taunted with his sword held on his shoulder.

On the ground, Itachi was thinking. 'He's moving to fast for my sharingan to even catch a glimpse of him. I've been holding back, but I know he is as well. That sword of his is strong and he knows how to use it. I may have to win this with ninjutsu' he thought before slowly getting up. Once Itachi rose, he started going through handsigns as Naruto watched with a bored but intrigued look on his face.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique" Itachi yelled as he blew out a large fireball towards Naruto. Naruto shook his head and began to spin his sword in his hand before re-gripping the sword and cutting through the jutsu. Once he did so, he looked up expecting to see Itachi but was met with nothing but the forest. As he was about to start looking for Itachi, a blade rested itself on the neck of Naruto.

"I win" spoke Itachi before the sound of clapping reached his ears. Turning around, Itachi was visibly surprised to see Naruto walk into the clearing clapping. Once Itachi turned, the Naruto he had a blade too poofed into smoke. Realizing what had happened, Itachi simply sheathed his sword and looked at Naruto.

"Well well Itachi, maybe it is too soon to write you off just yet, though you only did use one technique. Nonetheless I'm satisfied. Good night Itachi" Naruto said before turning around and leaving the forest.

Itachi stayed where he was contemplating the short spar the two had. 'That boy has a bright future ahead of him. Maybe a good rival for Sasuke as well.' Itachi quickly exited his thoughts as he quickly made his way to the Hokage's office. The jounin senseis were picking their teams tonight at the tower and he knew exactly who he wanted for his team after his quick spar which would leave him undoubtedly sore for the next few days. His mother is the one who had talked Itachi into becoming a jounin sensei saying that it would be best for Sasuke to learn from Itachi. That and she wanted him out of ANBU. He was hesitant to the idea but now after fighting Naruto, he knew this would be an exciting experience. So with that in mind he reached the tower ready to fight for the mysterious boy to be trained under him.

* * *

Authors Note: Next chapter will take a little longer because I plan on putting team placement and mission to wave all in one chapter so it will take some time but it will be pretty lengthy. Also please review!


	6. Team 11: The Next Sannin?

**IMPORTANT**

I just want to apologize to everyone for not updating in forever. To be honest I almost gave up on it but I'm back. I'm really sorry and don't have an excuse but I hope you like this chapter. Also just wanted to make something clear that I was thinking about. Naruto is god-like in swordsmanship but not jutsu. He's not as strong as Itachi like I made it seem last chapter, he's just better with a sword. A lot better. Anyway here it is.

 **I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS**

* * *

Naruto sat in the back of the class with his eyes closed. Currently he was going over his fight with Itachi the night before. Neither he nor Itachi were going all out but he doubted he could take Itachi on anyway considering the fact that Itachi only used one jutsu. Naruto smiled. One thing did upset Naruto though and that was the fact that Itachi tried to use a sword to beat him. Now Itachi couldn't possibly know about his prowess with a blade but it still felt somewhat insulted and irked him slightly.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of all of the former academy students entering the classroom, excited about team placement and not shutting up about how awesome it would be when they finally got to show off their moves to strong enemies. It annoyed Naruto immensely that these children had such a naive mindset about the life of a ninja. Once again, Naruto thanked Kami that he had been taught by Sera otherwise he may have ended up just like these idiots spouting up nonsense about their strength and how great they would be.

Once again, Naruto was drawn from his thoughts as he felt the eyes of someone staring at him. Lazily looking around, he found the culprit to be Sasuke Uchiha, little brother of Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

(Sasuke POV)

Sasuke stared at Naruto and was brought back to what happened last night when his brother arrived home.

(Flashback)

Sasuke was in the backyard practicing his fireball jutsu when he sensed someone watching him. Turning around, he was met with the form of his older brother Itachi. He smiled at seeing his brother but Itachi continued to stare looking lost in his thoughts.

"Hey Itachi, you okay?" he asked.

Itachi shook his head and walked up to Sasuke before looking down at him.

After a minute of staring, Itachi spoke. "Sasuke, there is something I need to tell you in regards to the boy named Naruto. You have seen him in a taijutsu match against Menma Namikaze but that is it. Am I correct?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke simply nodded and Itachi sighed.

Once again Itachi gained a thoughtful look on his face before speaking. "Naruto is strong. Stronger than you, stronger than your class, and stronger than the class previous. He is a legend in the making so I want you to examine him, learn from him, emulate him. It will only make you stronger in the long run for I believe that soon, the boy may be stronger than all of us" Itachi finished before walking back inside and leaving Sasuke to think about his words.

(Flashback End)

Sasuke just looked at the boy that his brother had told him about until Naruto met his stare causing him to turn away. Not long after, Iruka entered to announce the teams.

Iruka gave a short speech congratulating the new genin before announcing the first team.

* * *

(Normal POV)

"Team 7 will be Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze, Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze, and Sakura Haruno under Kushina Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake. Team 8 will be Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzaka, and Shino Aburame under Kurenai Yuuhi. Team 9 is still in circulation so on to Team 10. Team 10 will be Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi under Asuma Sarutobi. And finally Team 11 will be Sasuke Uchiha, Yakumo Kurama, and Naruto under Itachi Uchiha. Now everyone wait here for your senseis and once again, I am very proud of all of you" he finished.

After Iruka left, Naruto looked around the classroom for his other teammate but couldn't find her mostly because he didn't know the names of the majority of the class. Before he could think on it anymore, a dark figure entered the classroom. Itachi Uchiha had arrived.

"Team 11 meet at training ground 11" he said before shunshining away in a flock of crows.

Naruto watched as Sasuke rose and noticed a frail looking girl in the opposite corner of the room stand as well. Sasuke approached him and the girl followed.

Sasuke stopped in front of him. "I know where training ground 11 is so you two can follow me" he said observing Naruto and ignoring Yakumo.

Naruto looked at Yakumo and nodded. "Lead the way and we will follow" he said and the three took off.

* * *

(Training Ground 11)

Itachi sat on a wooden stump thinking about his team. He knew everything about his brother in terms of skill and personality, Yakumo was shy and had a weak body but was said to be a genjutsu prodigy with the ability to make her illusions real, and then there was Naruto. Even though he had the least information on him, Itachi could already tell from their spar that he was the strongest genin on the team. He was interrupted from his thoughts as the three genin that had been on his mind arrived in front of him. Itachi looked blankly at the group before speaking.

"Sit down and introduce yourselves" Itachi said motioning to the ground.

The three said nothing before Itachi pointed at Sasuke to speak and received a nod.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha, I like training and my family. I dislike fangirls and the weak. My goal is to bring honor to the Uchiha clan" he said before looking back at Itachi who nodded and pointed to Yakumo without a word. Yakumo rubbed her arm before speaking quietly. "My name is Yakumo Kurama and I like my family and genjutsu. I dislike perverts and rapists" she said in a tone that seemed very out of character for the seemingly shy girl. "My goal is to become the best genjutsu master ever" she finished with determination in her eyes which proved to Itachi that she would be willing to work hard to achieve her goal. Once again Itach nodded.

Itachi then turned to the final team member who was resting his head on his chin looking right at him. "Naruto, your turn" Itachi said wanting as much information on his genin as possible. Naruto contemplated what to say for a moment before speaking. "My name is Naruto. I like my sword, training, and the moon. I dislike the arrogant and those who can't back up what they say. My goal is unimportant" Naruto finished surprising Itachi that the boy had chosen to reveal that much considering the fact that Naruto didn't seem like the sharing type.

Sasuke looked over Naruto before responding to his answer. "I don't see a sword with you" he pointed out.

Naruto looked at him but never replied.

After thinking about each of his team's responses, he stood up to speak. "Most of the genin teams are taking a test to determine whether or not they deserve to be genin based on teamwork. The fact that you came to the training ground as one unit is enough to assure me that the three of you will work together. But I do want to test your combat abilities so all three of you are to attack me so that I may understand each of your abilities" he finished before crossing his arms looking bored but keeping an eye on Naruto who also had his arms crossed.

Sasuke took offense to the fact that his brother seemed to be underestimating him so blatantly so he rushed forward and launched a kick at Itachi's head which was blocked by Itachi simply raising his arm. The effortless block just served to infuriate Sasuke further as he got up launching shuriken at Itachi and preparing his fireball jutsu.

Itachi sighed and shook his head. His little brother, ever the one to fall victim to his emotions. He took out a kunai and simply swiped through the shuriken. By the time he had blocked them, Sasuke's fireball was launched and coming after him. He lazily replace himself with a log and appeared in front of Sasuke who was lightly panting. With one punch, he sent Sasuke flying into the forest. Itachi looked back to Naruto's position only to find no one there. Once again, Itachi sighed but figured his team would come after him again soon.

* * *

Sasuke was rubbing his cheek where he had been punched surrounded by Naruto and Yakumo.

Naruto took the opportunity of Sasuke being silent to speak. "Listen, none of us are a match for Itachi but together we may be a slight challenge. Here is what we are going to do. I will go out and challenge Itachi and while we fight, Yakumo will cast a genjutsu" Naruto was interrupted before he could say more by Yakumo of all people. "Um Naruto, I'm nowhere near Itachi's level of genjutsu. Anything I try and cast would be dispelled by him before it take effect" she said.

Naruto shook his head. "Normally that would be true, but he won't be paying enough attention to know when the genjutsu starts, and by the time it does, it will be too late. Make a genjutsu that will keep him still. When he dispels the genjutsu, I will be there to hold him in place. That is when you Sasuke will come from the forest to force him to surrender by putting a kunai to his neck. Itachi gives up, we win, and it's over. Got it?" he asked getting confident nods from his teammates. Naruto smirked. Maybe this team could actually work.

* * *

Itachi was standing and waiting for his next opponent when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he was met with the sight of Naruto walking towards him. Itachi immediately prepared himself knowing that this was perhaps the only genin that could require most of his attention.

"I see you came alone. Are you looking to finish what was started last time?" Itachi said with a smirk.

Naruto rolled his neck with a pop sound as a result. Without a word, Naruto dashed forward with the speed of at least high-chuunin aiming to punch Itachi in the face. Itachi jumped back but Naruto unexpectedly flipped after missing and brought his foot down on Itachi's shoulder knocking him back.

As Itachi was knocked back he could already feel the bruise forming on his shoulder. Itachi knew that Naruto was skilled with taijutsu so he started to think around it. He could fight Naruto with his sword but something told him that his chances of death were higher than not, he could fight him with taijutsu, but there would be some explaining to do if he showed up in the Hokage's office later with multiple bruises even if he wasn't trying. So that left him with ninjutsu. He had only seen Naruto use the shadow clone jutsu so it might be best to make this into a ninjutsu battle. Itachi quickly did the signs and quietly said "Great Fireball jutsu" launching a very large fireball at his student.

Naruto clenched his teeth but knew this was the risk of trying to make Itachi resort to using ninjutsu only. Naruto stretched his arm and as it did the night before, his massive sword appeared in his hand. Deciding to show Itachi something he hadn't shown him previously, he pushed chakra into and around his sword. Raising his arm, he swiped down powerful enough to push his blade into the ground towards the incoming fireball. A chakra wave formed from his sword and flew, splitting the fireball. But the wave continued and was now nearing Itachi. Itachi was able to jump away at the last second but watched the result of the wave. Once the wave hit the trees, it was as if hundreds of sword slashes were attacking the trees at once. Before Itachi could overcome his shock, he felt something grabbing him. Looking down, he was surprised to see many thick vines overcoming him and holding him. Just as it was about to completely overcome him, he sensed that it was a genjutsu and dispelled it. Once he did, he was met with the sight of his brother holding a kunai to his throat daring him to move. Itachi smirked and simply said "I surrender".

Sasuke removed his kunai, Yakumo came out of her hiding space, and Naruto joined the team from his spot.

Itachi spent the next two minutes examining his team and analyzing their strategy. It was a very sound plan with even better execution. He could tell already that this team would go far. Though his brother had been a bit disappointing, he was still involved in the outcome and would only get better. Yakumo's timing and strength of her genjutsu were practically flawless, and Naruto's ability to make Itachi lose focus of his teammates was very inspiring. Yes, this team would go far.

"We're done for today, go home and rest. We meet tomorrow at six in the morning and don't be late" he said with a small smile leaving to go to the Hokage's office. Had he turned around, he would have seen the sight of his three genin wide eyed and open mouthed. After Itachi had left, the three simultaneously shouted "SIX!".

After the shock of training time wore off, Sasuke and Naruto started to go their separate ways before being stopped by a quiet voice saying "Wait".

The two turned around to see Yakumo rubbing her arm. "Um I was hoping that we could all go out and get something to eat and get to know each other since we are on a team together" she said expectantly and hoping they said yes.

Sasuke shook his head. "I have to go train and get stronger. Maybe you should as well instead of worrying about socializing" he said before leaving. Yakumo quickly developed a dissapointed and hurt look before looking at Naruto. Naruto was quiet for a moment before nodding. "That sounds good. I noticed a restaurant on the way here, Yakiniku Q I believe it was called" he responded. Yakumo smiled and nodded. The two took off to Yakiniku Q while their ever polite teammate returned home to train.

* * *

All jounin senseis were gathered in the Hokage's office waiting to give their reports. Minato entered the office and sat at his desk followed by the current elders of the village, Jiraiya and Tsunade. "Okay so the team tests were today, please give me the results everyone" he said as each jounin stepped forward to give their report on their team.

"Team 1 Fail"

"Team 2 Fail"

"Team 3 Fail"

"Team 4 Fail"

"Team 5 Fail"

"Team 6 Fail"

Kakashi stepped forward. "Team 7 Pass. Menma and Narumi performed well except for that they were easily goaded into a fight and too often let their emotions cloud their decision making. The Haruno girl is a bit of a problem as well but I believe that we can train her and make her useful" finished Kakashi with Kushina nodding behind him. Minato sighed. He knew that his children would pass but they did let their emotions override their judgement, a trait they undoubtedly got from their mother. The Sanin behind him chuckled as did a few jounin. Minato nodded and motioned to Kurenai.

Kurenai stepped forward to report. "Team 8 Pass. Hinata has potential in Gentle Fist but too hesitant whereas Kiba is too impulsive but Shino is very intellectual and was able to get his teammates to follow his plan of draining me of my chakra then Kiba and Hinata alternated in their clan styles against me" she said.

Asuma took a puff of his cigarette before being elbowed in the gut by Kurenai. "Team 10 Pass. Ino commanded Shikamaru and Choji to get me in place for her to use her Mind Transfer jutsu to beat me" he finished and then stepped back.

Minato didn't know what to expect when Itachi stepped forward. He hoped the team passed for the sake of his son as did Kushina who was nervously looking at Itachi. The jounin in the room however were sure that the team assigned to Itachi Uchiha had failed, despite his brother being on the team.

"Team 11 Pass" he said causing whispers to start among the other jounin. Minato quickly got tired of the whispers and said loudly "Quiet" before motioning to Itachi to continue.

Itachi took a deep breath. "What I say may not be easy to understand but please let me finish before questions are asked" he said getting a nod in response from Minato. "Team 11 has greater potential than that of the Sannin" he said which immediately gathered shouts from the other jounin, narrowed eyes from the Sannin, and wide eyed responses from Minato and Kushina. This time Minato had to shout "QUIET" to get everyone to settle down. "Please continue Itachi" he said. Itachi simply nodded.

"Before I explain what happened for me to come to this realization I will tell you of my students. Sasuke is strong for a genin but needs training and perhaps a new mindset. Yakumo is a genjutsu prodigy with potential surpassing that of my own in the field" he said getting wide eyed shocked responses from every jounin in the room but none as shocked as Kurenai.

Minato was shocked at how much praise Itachi was giving before realizing he had not heard about his own son yet. "And Naruto?" he asked getting the attention of everyone in the room especially the Sannin who wanted to know how strong the boy was. The boy who they were supposed to have a relationship with but instead never even acknowledged him.

Itachi sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today. "Naruto is the strongest genin and perhaps the strongest chunin in Konoha" he said getting the most shocked reactions that he had gotten all day. "And that is just during the day. At night, I'm unsure exactly how strong he is but his power is immense, perhaps as strong as I am with my sharingan activated" he finished expecting the questions to flood like water breaking a dam.

Minato spoke first. "How do you know he is strong at night Itachi?" he asked curiously. Itachi looked at the Hokage ignoring everyone who were still trying to fathom what he was saying. "After the graduation exam, I tailed him. It was relatively late and he sensed me. We had a short conversation before he challenged me and summoned a giant sword almost as tall as him and just as wide as his body. Before he attacked, he made a suspicious comment about how beautiful the moon looked and then attacked. We fought and it ended with me finding out that I was fighting a clone the whole time. But more surprising, he was toying with me while using his sword. I launched a fireball at him and he simply cut through it. He is very strong during the day especially with that sword of his, but at night, he's almost unstoppable" Itachi reminisced.

Kushina spoke next. "You keep saying he has a sword but I've never seen him with it. Also how good is he? Is there any room for improvement?" she asked hoping for another way to bond with her son as she was a sword master herself.

Itachi chuckled which soon turned into a full blown laugh leaving a few wondering if he had gone off the deep end. "I don't know how but he just holds his arm out and the sword appears into existence. And as for needing improvement, I think he's perfectly fine in the area of swordsmanship".

Minato then decided to wrap everything up. "How did your team pass Itachi?" he asked getting back to the point.

Itachi nodded. "Naruto kept me focused on him and when I used my Giant Fireball but he summoned his sword and cut it in half but a chakra wave from the sword kept going barely missing me. The chakra wave hit a tree and when it hit, it was like hundreds of strikes at once. While I was focused on Naruto's attack, Yakumo was able to cast a genjutsu in which vines attempted to smother me. When I dispelled it, Sasuke had his kunai to my throat so I surrendered. They work well together and are powerful in their own right" he finished.

Minato took a deep breath before thanking everyone and letting them leave. Kushina, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade stayed behind.

"What do you all think?" Minato asked. Everyone was silent before Tsunade spoke. "We fucked up".

* * *

(Yakiniku Q)

Naruto and Yakumo sat next to each other enjoying their meal. Yakumo then turned to Naruto.

"So you left the village and learned how to use that sword I saw?" Yakumo asked for the third time since arriving at the restaurant. Naruto simply nodded.

"What was it like outside of Konoha?" she asked. Naruto swallowed the food in his mouth before responding. "Well, I mostly stayed in the forest but it was nice".

Naruto then asked a question that had been slightly bugging him. "I'm curious why you didn't invite any of your friends, I'm not the most fun person to hang out with".

Yakumo's smile turned into a sad frown and she looked down. Naruto gave her time before she responded. "I don't have any friends. When I was younger, there was something wrong with me. My personality had split to form a creature called Ido. I'm fine now but everyone still walks on eggshells around me even my own family" she said and tears began to fall. Suddenly, something unexpected happened. A hand grabbed and held hers. She looked up to see Naruto looking at her with genuine worry and care. It made her heart flutter.

After staring into Yakumo's eyes, Naruto spoke. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. The past is the past and if no one wants to hang out with you now then fuck em. If people call you weak, destroy them. If no one believes in you, make them believe in you. And always remember if you feel alone, you've always got me" he said with a smile. Yakumo teared up and hugged him tight. She felt at peace when she felt him hug back.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Once again so sorry I took so long and I'll try to make it up to you all.

I know that Sasuke seemed unimportant and useless but he gets stronger. As for Naruto being really affectionate and deep towards Yakumo, keep in mind that both have had very little attention and affection given to them in their lives. Naruto sees Yakumo as kind of like he was before he met Sera. Anyway any other questions just put it in the review section and I'll try to answer it. **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. The Journey to Wave

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS ETC.**

* * *

It had been a month since Team 11 was formed. The team had grown stronger together both physically and emotionally. The three shared a strong bond with one another. It had taken some time and effort but Naruto and Yakumo were eventually able to crack Sasuke's shell enough that he would now willingly hang out with the two. Another bond that had increased exponentially was that of Naruto and Yakumo. Ever since their time together after training, the two hung out more often, getting to know each other to the point of becoming best friends. They understood each other because of similar feelings of loneliness. Secretly over the past month, the two had developed feelings for one another but kept quiet about it. The three as a whole had the best teamwork and best record for missions completed despite being D ranked. It is after finishing the D ranked mission of finding Tora the demon cat that we find Team 11 in the Hokage's office.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato was already tired from his earlier paperwork which had now increased due to the actions of Team 11.

"Your mission was to capture Tora and return it to the Daimyo's wife. Care to explain what went wrong?" Minato asked waiting for an explanation.

"We returned the cat, I don't see what the big deal is" stated Naruto with both his teammates nodding in agreement. Itachi put his face in his hands out of embarrassment.

Minato's eye twitched violently. "The big deal is that when returned, Tora had half of his tail cut off and cauterized by a fire jutsu. The cat is also now suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to a genjutsu placed on it. I would say all in all that is a big deal" he said. "I am tempted to assign you 20 more D rank missions without pay" he said getting gloomy looks from the team.

Naruto was more annoyed than gloomy. He hated this. He wanted to fight, he needed a challenge, something he most certainly was not getting from these ridiculous D rank missions. The only thing more annoying to him than the D ranks was the fact that the Hokage and his wife had taken to trying to get him to return home. Even the Sanin had attempted to get on his good side offering training and summoning contracts, acting like the neglect that he had suffered from them didn't exist. It made him sick. Yakumo had suggested that he give Minato and Kushina a chance and Naruto had promised that he would think about it. Lately he had been thinking about reconciling with his parents. He knew it would take time but he was slowly becoming more open to the idea as long as they stopped annoying him with questions like "How are you?" and "Are you eating your vegetables". Naruto decided to push his thoughts to the side as he saw Sasuke ranting about something so he decided to tune in.

"I think it's time that we get something worth our time. We are the strongest genin team you've got and you know that so give us something that will be a challenge" Sasuke finished before earning a punch to the head from Itachi. Itachi had witnessed his brother's growth in the past month and was genuinely proud. His little brother had grown not only as a fighter but as a person as well. But even after his transformation, Sasuke still needed to be reminded of his place from time to time.

Minato contemplated Sasuke's words and looked at Itachi. "Itachi, do you believe that your team is ready for a C rank mission?" Minato asked gaining an immediate response of a nod. "Very well, I have an escort mission for a bridge builder to Wave country if that satisfies. I'm confident that you would be able to handle any mishaps Itachi" he said but became confused as Itachi shook his head.

"My apologies Lord Hokage but I will not be able to attend this mission due to clan business. Even though I will be absent, my team if more than skilled enough to take this mission on alone" Itachi stated gaining blushes from his genin.

After a few minutes of thought, he nodded slowly. He had heard very good things about Team 11 also known as the Second Coming of the Sanin, shorter name still pending. Itachi openly bragged about his team when asked about them which was very out of character for the normally quiet, well reserved jounin.

"Fine, but if there are any problems, you are to send for help immediately. Do you understand Team 11?" he asked and received nods in response. "Good. ANBU bring Tazuna in". Moments later, an obviously drunk old man entered the room stumbling a bit.

"So this is what I get for all the money I'm paying. A couple of brats still in their diapers?" he asked causing Team 11 to unconsciously leak a small amount of killer intent. Before it could go any further, Minato intervened. "Tazuna I assure you that this genin team will get you to Wave without a hitch" he said. Tazuna just grunted.

Itachi turned to his team. "I want each of you to pack for a C rank mission and meet at the gates in an hour. I have to go sober the client up.

All three genin nodded and shunshined out of the office.

* * *

(Village Gates 1 hour later)

The three genin stood together talking about the mission.

"I'm pretty nervous to be honest. Our first C rank and we don't even have Itachi sensei to help us" Yakumo said looking down.

Naruto looked at his friend and took her hand in his causing her to look up. "We've got each other. As long as we stick together we'll be fine so don't worry Yakumo" said Naruto in a gentle tone. Yakumo smiled appreciatively and tightened her grip.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the sight. "Get a room you two" he said causing Naruto and Yakumo to blush. "Anyway, like Naruto said, we'll be fine. Especially with an Uchiha on the team" he said proudly and full of determination.

"But you haven't even unlocked your sharingan yet Sasuke" Yakumo said causing Sasuke to immediately develop a rain cloud over his head and start muttering statements about dishonoring the Uchiha clan. Both Naruto and Yakumo sweat dropped at the sight before going over to comfort Sasuke and try to help him regain his former confidence. This is the sight that Itachi and Tazuna arrived to. Itachi sighed and Tazuna looked at Itachi before asking "Is it too late to get a different team?" which never got a reply.

When the team realized that the client and their sensei had arrived, they immediately recovered and stood straight waiting for instructions. Itachi shook his head. "Okay team, you know the mission now go out there and make me proud" he said with a small smile.

The team smiled as well and nodded. And with that, Team 11 and Tazuna the bridge builder took off to Wave.

* * *

While Naruto and Sasuke were keeping a look out for any bandits, Yakumo was looking around and taking in the scenery of the forest outside of Konoha.

"So this is what it's like outside of Konoha. I like it" Yakumo said before turning her attention to Tazuna who seemed very nervous. "So Tazuna, what's Wave like?" Yakumo asked trying to calm him down.

It seemed to work as Tazuna thought for a moment before speaking. "Wave used to be beautiful. The people were happy and everyone took care of one another. It was perfect. That is until Gato showed up. Gato is the head of the Gato Shipping Company so he quickly commanded a lot of authority over us because we need the seas to survive. But Gato came in and started bleeding us dry. We were so scared until Kaiza the village hero stood up to Gato. Gato had him executed in front of everyone to make an example of what happened when someone defied him. After that, our village lost hope. But this bridge I build will make it so that we aren't forced to rely on Gato and bring hope to our people" he said with determination that impressed Team 11.

After Tazuna had finished, the four continued walking until they came across a puddle in the middle of the road. Naruto and Sasuke shook their heads. "We're never gonna hear the end of this from Yakumo are we?" asked Sasuke. Naruto shook his head no. One thing Yakumo hated was when people misused genjutsu. After beating the person to a pulp, she tended to go on long rants about the skill and beauty of genjutsu and how much she hated those who tried to tarnish it.

Naruto and Sasuke stopped in their tracks and walked back towards Tazuna to cover him. Whatever the threat was, they doubted that it would be too much to handle. After only a month of training under Itachi and with Naruto and Sasuke, her body was no longer frail and weak. She now had the most physically fit body of any of the girl in her genin class which really came as no surprise except maybe Narumi who had trained seriously her whole life. Yakumo was also very flexible and incorporated that into her taijutsu.

As Yakumo and Tazuna stopped to see what was wrong, Yakumo saw the puddle in the road. Her eye immediately began twitching and a vision of the Shinigami appeared behind her. Clenching her fist, she walked forward until chains from the puddle tried to wrap around her but she jumped straight up avoiding them. After the chains fell, two figures jumped out of the puddle, both wearing Hidden Mist headbands with a scratch through the symbol.

Naruto folded his arms. "The Demon Brothers Gozu and Meizu? Interesting" Naruto said before narrowing his eyes. Sasuke looked at him. "You know them?" he asked and Naruto shrugged. "On the way back to Konoha, I read the Bingo Book. These guys are C rank chuunin level opponents" said Naruto. "You think she can handle both of them?" Sasuke asked getting a blank stare in return. Looking back to the battle Sasuke muttered "You're right, stupid question". Tazuna in the meantime was internally panicking and praying that he was not about to get a few kids killed.

Currently Yakumo was simply dodging the attacks from the Demon Brothers with such fluidity and grace that it infuriated them. It infuriated them because it was a sign that this little girl was toying with them and from the look on her face, she was bored. Their opinions were correct. Yakumo was bored so she decided to end it. After dodging another strike from Gozu, she pushed off her back foot while grabbing her kunai and dashed towards him stabbing just above the heart and flipping into the air. As she came down, she brought her foot down on Meizu's shoulder knocking him down. Naruto and Sasuke seeing that the battle was over approached Meizu.

Naruto stepped forward. "Let's make this quick and simple shall we? Your brother is going to die if he doesn't get treatment and you are going to die after my friend here" he pointed to Yakumo "puts you in a genjutsu that makes you wish for death. Or you could tell us why you attacked us, we let you go and hopefully never see you again. Choose now" Naruto ordered in a dark tone. It was a no brainer for Meizu who couldn't feel his arm because of Yakumo's kick. He quickly spilled everything he knew and then was allowed to leave.

The three genin turned to Tazuna. "So it looks like Gato wants you dead. Eh oh well, let's keep moving" he said and the team started walking forward. Tazuna was shocked. He was sure that the three would abandon the mission because he had lied but here they were continuing in spite of it. "Hurry up Tazuna" shouted Naruto shaking Tazuna out of his stupor as he ran to catch up.

* * *

It had been an hour since the four had gotten off the boat to get them closer to Wave and the team was bored. Luckily they were almost there according to Tazuna.

"So bored. When are we gonna get some action" yelled Sasuke before the team heard a buzzing sound. Immediately Team 11 and Tazuna thanks to Yakumo being there dropped to the ground before a giant sword could decapitate them and flew into a tree. Getting up Naruto turned to Sasuke. "You just had to jinx it didn't you" Naruto said and Sasuke had the decency to blush in embarrassment. Naruto shook his head and looked at the sword which now had a man crouching on it. The man wore wrappings around his lower face and had a Hidden Mist headband with a scratch down the middle like the Demon Brothers.

"Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist, A rank missing nin of Mizugakure, wanted for attempting to murder the current Mizukage . What a treat" Naruto said focusing mainly on the sword Zabuza was crouched on. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get a sword fight worth his time.

"Hand over the bridge builder and I may let you live" Zabuza said plainly but keeping his eye on the blonde who had a growing smile on his face which was a bit concerning.

Naruto started chuckling which soon turned into a very loud insane laugh. After catching his breath, Naruto turned to his teammates and simply said, "He's mine" before holding out his arm. To Zabuza and Tazuna's shock, a giant sword appeared in his hand. "Well Zabuza, its been some time since I've gotten a challenge in a duel. Hopefully, you're worth my time. Fingers crossed" he said with a smile and resting his sword on his shoulder. Zabuza jumped off his sword and pulled it free before taking his stance. The way this boy talked both confused and pissed him off. He was confused by the amount of confidence he was exerting but pissed off that this child thought he could stand up to him with a sword. "Don't say I never gave you a choice" said Zabuza before dashing at him poised to strike but his attack was cut off by Naruto's giant sword which blocked his own with ease.

Chuckling, Naruto pushed back before twisting the sword position in his hand to bring it down on Zabuza. The slash was blocked but it left Zabuza's arm tingling. The next thing he knew, Naruto was behind him facing away from him. Before he could question what he was doing, he felt a great amount of pain in his abdominal area. Looking down, he was shocked to see a wound from Naruto's sword. Turning around, he was met with the sight of Naruto smiling.

"How are you so fast with a blade like?" Zabuza asked while Naruto's smile just grew larger in size. "It's a secret" he said before disappearing and reappearing in front of him. Before Zabuza could react, Naruto punched him in the face sending him flying. While flying, Naruto disappeared again and sent him upwards with a kick that landed close to his spinal cord. Once again Zabuza flew into the air and landed roughly on the ground shortly after. Zabuza groaned but got up. "I thought you said this was a sword battle, I expected you to be using only your sword" he said. Naruto blinked a couple of times before responding. "Are you a genin? You certainly have the mindset of one if you would agree to such terms. And if we were just using swords, you would be dead by now. Use jutsu if you must. Show me your full power, it matters not. The end result will still be your death" Naruto said gaining a dangerous look in his eye. Zabuza quickly retreated to the middle of the lake behind them and Naruto slowly followed. Naruto watched, sword in hand as Zabuza shouted "Hiding in the Mist jutsu" and a wave of mist began to rise making him invisible to Naruto, or so he thought. Naruto just yawned and raised his sword and started spinning it in his hand. As it spun faster, the mist collected and dispersed while Zabuza stood there surprised at the boy's skill with his sword.

"Well, I'll admit boy that you are good but let's see you shake off this one. Water Dragon jutsu" Zabuza shouted. A dragon formed of water immediately rose from the lake and attacked Naruto. Naruto once again shook his head and raised his sword to the sky. When he swung his sword down, a chakra wave was created, and it flew through the water dragon and barely missed Zabuza. "It's time to end this. I'm sorry for what is about to happen" said a voice from behind Zabuza. When he turned around, Naruto was there to make a slash at his chest then disappear. The next slash came along his right arm, then his left shoulder, then the back of both of his thighs, and finally across his back. Zabuza was still alive but he had never felt this much pain before. Before he could have another thought, Naruto appeared in front of him with his sword drawn back behind him and with an upward slash, Zabuza was launched twenty feet in the air. Naruto forced chakra to his legs and jumped above Zabuza with his sword once again raised to the sky. Naruto then shouted words. "Hammer Slash" the boy shouted before bringing his sword down on top of his chest and pushing the two quickly to the ground with a collision so great that the area of the lake where the two landed pushed the water away leaving them on a dry surface.

Naruto looked down and recognized that Zabuza was still breathing but barely. He had perhaps two minutes to live. Naruto grabbed his body and leapt to shore before the water filled the area the two were previously in. As Naruto set the Demon of the Mist down, he had to move his head as a girl with black hair came flying out of the forest with an enraged look on her face and throwing senbon at him.

"You son of a bitch. How could you?" the girl shouted with tears running down her face. "Haku" said the weak voice of Zabuza as loudly as he could. Haku immediately stopped her attack and rushed over to Zabuza's side. "Master, I'm sorry. This is my fault, I failed you" she said leaking tears. Zabuza looked at her and shook his head slightly. "No Haku I failed you. I made you feel like you were just a tool to me when really you were so much more. Listen because I don't have long. I want you to go with this boy and his team. You'll be safe as long as you stay with them. I love you daughter" he finished and like that, the Demon of the Mist was no more. "I love you too father" Haku silently said still holding on to Zabuza's dead body.

Naruto observed the scene with mixed feelings. On one hand he wasn't sure that he should take this Haku with him as she could pose a problem but on the other hand looking at them had reminded him of his last moments with Sera. He sighed. She didn't seem like a threat to him so he supposed that he could abide by Zabuza's last wishes from one swordsman to another. Naruto walked forward. "We can give him a water burial here and then you may join us if you wish" Naruto said to the still devastated Haku. She simply nodded in response.

Naruto walked back to where his teammates and Tazuna were. Sasuke and Yakumo came up to him. "Are you alright Naruto?" asked Yakumo with concern which made Naruto give a small smile. "Yes Yakumo I'm alright. Also we are going to be having a new member tag along" Naruto said getting confused looks from his team. "What happened over there and also how did you jump that high?" asked Sasuke. Naruto looked at the trees. "Zabuza's final moments were what happened over there. As for the jump, it's a secret" he said with a smile of amusement. Sasuke was irritated at the fact that Naruto wouldn't tell him how to perform something that looked so cool but just shrugged.

* * *

After the water burial and everyone getting to know each other even though Haku was still hurting immensely, the group of Naruto, Yakumo, Sasuke, Haku, and Tazuna took off. Only twenty minutes of walking and the group had finally arrived at the village. It was a pitiful sight. The mood was gloomy, the people looked hopeless, there were people on the streets begging for food.

Tazuna shook his head. "This is the result of Gato" he simply said before walking to a house sitting on a pier. The group followed Tazuna and entered the house with him. "Tsunami, Inari, I'm home" Tazuna shouted and seconds later a black haired woman came running and hugged Tazuna. "I thought you had died dad" she said with a few tears leaking. Tazuna hugged back. "I would have if not for these remarkable ninja" he said. Naruto and Haku stood indifferent, Yakumo was rubbing her arm and blushing from embarrassment, and Sasuke was standing tall and proud. Naruto and Yakumo both didn't want to break Sasuke down like they had at the village gates by reminding him that he hadn't really done anything along the way here.

Tsunami looked at the ninja and walked up to them. "Thank you for protecting my father. He and my son are all I have left and the entirety of Wave country is relying on him" Tsunami said. Naruto gave a small smile. "Eh it's no problem and we're happy to help. Is there anywhere we can rest we're pretty worn out" he asked which got questioning looks from Sasuke and Yakumo since they had never seen him tired. Tsunami pointed upstairs and told the group that there were two rooms that they could use. After thanking her for the hospitality, the group made their way upstairs. Once they arrived upstairs, Naruto turned to Haku who had been silent. "I know that you probably hate me for taking away your father, but if you do anything to threaten the lives of my team, I will kill you" he said coldly while his team said nothing. Haku nodded, "My father told me to go with you. I will attempt to help you and your team as much as possible" she said. Naruto's mood then did a complete 180 as he gave a large smile and said "Welcome to the team Haku". Naruto then looked at Sasuke and Yakumo telling them without words to follow him into his and Sasuke's room. When they entered, Naruto almost fell face first on the ground if not for Sasuke catching him.

"Naruto what's going on with you" asked Sasuke while Yakumo was by Naruto's side holding his hand. After being lowered to the ground, he looked up at his teammates. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just really exhausted. That Hammer Slash attack you saw me use takes up a lot of energy, I'm just lucky I didn't tear anything" Naruto said. Sasuke looked confused again. "What do you mean tear anything?" he asked. Naruto sighed. "All of my stronger attacks that I use are kind of like double edge swords. They are powerful, but the stronger they are, the larger the possibility of a serious injury. It can go from simple exhaustion to death. Not unlike jutsu" he said getting understanding looks from his team. "Well, we need to be up early tomorrow, so Yakumo you go get some sleep" he said. Yakumo stared at him worriedly for a minute before nodding and leaving. Sasuke and Naruto quickly went to bed as well. All of Team 11 fell asleep wondering what challenges would come next.

* * *

 **I got a lot of views the day I released the last chapter which was yesterday so I just want to thank you all for that and hope you are enjoying the story. Also PLEASE REVIEW! I really appreciate your input and it helps me decide which direction to take the story in. Also, Naruto may seem more emotional and less stuck up as he has in past chapters simply because he finally has friends now.**


	8. The Battle of the Bridge

Naruto was sitting on top of Tazuna's house staring at the moon shining through the night sky while everyone else slept. He had come up to the roof because Sasuke's snoring was really bad, he had things to think about, and the aftereffect of his Hammer Slash was worse than he had let on. He told his team that he was just exhausted but in reality, the muscles for both of his arms were shredded. The pain was nearly unbearable, but Naruto had been able to pass it off as exhaustion and was now letting the moon do its job. The light of the moon was slowly healing his body instead of simply increasing his power like usual.

While this process was going on, Naruto's thoughts drifted to Minato and Kushina. Ever since he had returned, the two had not stopped trying to get him to return to them. Each time they asked Naruto declined, but it hurt deep down every time. Truthfully, he wanted a relationship with not only his parents but his brother and sister as well. It was what he always wanted. But every time he thought about forgiving Minato and Kushina and maybe coming home, memories of the pain and loneliness he felt throughout his childhood resurfaced. Perhaps one day he would be able to have a relationship with his mother and father but that wouldn't be until he was able to finally put the past behind him.

Menma and Narumi were a different story completely. While their parents had taken to trying everything in their power to gain forgiveness from Naruto, Menma and Narumi had made it clear that they did not want to be in his life nor him in theirs. They felt that they were justified in the ridicule they applied and arrogance they showed, that they were truly better than everyone else and the weaker ones should be treated as scum and peasants. Both refused to even acknowledge the fact that Menma had been completely outclassed by Naruto chalking it up to dumb luck mixed with pity. If they were not his brother and sister, Naruto would probably find the situation funny to an extent. But they were his brother and sister, and deep deep down he still cared for them as such even though they did not feel the same.

Lastly his mind drifted to Sera, his teacher, his role model, his friend. He wondered if she would be proud of him. He did just kill a former member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, but Sera was hard to impress so her response probably would have been, "Why did it take you so long to beat him" and then she would up his training ten fold. Naruto chuckled sadly. He missed her. He missed her a lot. But one day he would see her again and until then, he would do his best to make her proud.

And with that last thought, Naruto let himself fall asleep.

* * *

Naruto was woken by the sound of everyone in the house moving around in the house. Sitting up, Naruto clenched both of his fists a few times and stretched his arms. He was still sore but was physically fine. Jumping off the roof landing in front of the door, he righted himself before entering. When he entered he noticed Tsunami cleaning dishes and his team and Haku eating breakfast at the dinner table.

Looking towards the open door, Tsunami smiled when she saw it was Naruto. "Come in Naruto. I just made breakfast and left you a plate at the table" she said before pointing at a spot by Yakumo. Naruto smiled in return and took his seat at the table before digging in. Naruto was halfway through his breakfast when Tsunami left the area. Once Tsunami left, Sasuke turned to Haku. "Haku could you go outside? Our team has something to discuss privately" he said calmly causing Naruto's eyebrow to rise wondering what this was about. Haku nodded and quickly made her way out of the house while Sasuke and Yakumo stared at Naruto.

"Naruto, you've been hiding things. We realize that you deserve your privacy, but we are your teammates and both Sasuke and I feel that we have earned the right to know about it" Yakumo said never taking her eyes off Naruto. Sasuke continued where Yakumo left off. "Listen, all we want to know is what you can do and how you can do it. You don't have to tell us any details that you don't want to but it will definitely help us become stronger as a unit. It might even help me get my sharingan" Sasuke said, muttering the last part.

Naruto was a little surprised at the way that his team went about it but he honestly had no problem with revealing his abilities to those he trusted. And Yakumo, Itachi, and even Sasuke were the people he trusted most in this world. "Okay" Naruto said nodding his head. He could barely contain his laughter at the stunned look that Yakumo and Sasuke were giving him right now. After shaking of his surprise, Sasuke asked "So you will just tell us right here right now? Just like that?", his brow twitching slightly. Naruto simply nodded. "Yep. I have actually been waiting for one of you two to ask" he said causing both Sasuke and Yakumo to fall face first onto the floor.

After getting up, both Yakumo and Sasuke started thinking of questions to ask Naruto. Sasuke was the first to voice his question. "Okay where did you get that sword you always use and who taught you how to use it" Sasuke asked and noticed that Naruto's amused demeanor quickly turned into a slightly depressed one. After a few moments of staring at the window, Naruto answered. "The sword is well a little complicated. It all happened when I left Konoha. You see, there is a line of legendary swordsman that I am a part of. I'm the eleventh swordsman of them and when I was truly accepted as one, the sword appeared in my hand" he said rubbing the back of his neck. Sasuke looked at Naruto as if he was crazy but knew that he wasn't one to lie. "And the one who taught you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto just shook his head and replied "She's gone now. That's all you need to know."

While Sasuke contemplated on the answers he had been given, Yakumo looked at the boy who she considered her best friend. It hurt a little that there were some things that he hadn't told her, but it had only been a month and she was confident he would have told her everything eventually. Shaking her head she asked her question. "My turn. Um how strong would you say you are?" she asked. Naruto looked up in thought while Yakumo and Sasuke were leaning in expecting him to say something like Sanin of Kage level. Naruto looked at the two and replied, "I dunno" causing Yakumo and Sasuke to once again fall face first onto the floor. When the two got up, Sasuke with his eyebrow violently twitching yelled out, "What do you mean you don't know?" Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. I'm pretty strong in the day but at night it's a completely different story" he said eliciting confused looks from his teammates. "What do you mean by that. Why would the time of day change how you fight?" Yakumo asked. Naruto smirked. "Well, when the moon is shining, my strength triples" he said watching Yakumo and Sasuke's jaws drop.

While Sasuke and Yakumo were still recovering from shock, Tazuna came down the stairs. "Everybody ready to build a bridge?" Tazuna asked getting a nod from Naruto but no reaction from the other two.

* * *

Naruto sat on the edge of the unfinished bridge keeping an eye on Haku and the production of the bridge while Sasuke and Yakumo were sparring in taijutsu. With the help of Itachi, Sasuke was practicing the Uchiha taijutsu style but still couldn't use it to its full effect because he didn't have his sharingan yet while Yakumo used a style that Itachi helped her create. The style involved a lot of dodging taking advantage of her flexibility and allowing the opponent to overexert themselves before landing quick rapid strikes to open areas. It wasn't perfect, but it fit her combat set especially since she was supposed to be a genjutsu specialist which weren't expected to be well versed in terms on taijutsu. As a whole, Team 11 was well above taijutsu.

Naruto's attention was then shifted to a few of the workers having a heated argument with Tazuna, so he decided to listen in.

"What do you mean you quit?! Don't you see how much we need this bridge? What this bridge means?" Tazuna asked with a furious expression on his face. The workers were looking towards the ground with apparent shame on their faces. "We're sorry Tazuna we really are, but we've got families. If we get on Gato's radar, then the same thing that happened to Kaiza is gonna happen to them. We're just thinking of our families and honestly you should too Tazuna" the lead worker finished barely able to look Tazuna in the eye. By this point, Sasuke and Yakumo had come back from sparring and were now listening in. Before they could add their opinions to the discussion, their team leader did.

"Cowards" Naruto said coldly, hopping off the edge of the bridge and walking to where the conversation was taking place. "You have the opportunity to save this country. To prove that you won't bow down to that pathetic bug Gato. Tazuna continues everyday building this bridge knowing full well the dangers of crossing this tyrant, but in every revolution, there is sacrifice. If you truly believe that the cause is not worth sacrifice then leave, but if you look upon your once beautiful country and feel sadness and the urge to change it, then stay for I swear here and now that this bridge will be finished with or without you. So I ask, will you be the one who gave in to Gato's demands, or will you be a hero and save this dying nation?" he finished causing the workers and Tazuna even to look at him with newfound determination and resolve. The workers went back to work filled with a fire that would only be extinguished through death. Tazuna looked at the workers and then nodded towards Naruto. No more words needed to be said.

* * *

It had been a week since Naruto's speech and at the moment, bridge production was on hold for a day. Tazuna saw fit to give his men a day off because they were so far ahead of schedule due in no small part to Naruto.

Naruto, Sasuke, Yakumo, and Haku were sitting in the living room of Tazuna's house hanging out. Over the past week, Haku had proven to be not only trustworthy but easy to talk to as well. Team 11 and Haku now got along as if they were never enemies, instead childhood friends. The team had learned that she was the holder of the Hyoton bloodline which Naruto and Yakumo thought was cool. After finding out about Haku's bloodline, Naruto thought it would be fun to mess with Sasuke by turning to him and asking him, "Why hasn't your bloodline activated?" which resulted in Sasuke sulking in a corner and growing even more insecure about his lack of sharingan. Despite this, Sasuke and Haku actually got along really well. Since Naruto and Yakumo usually stuck together, Sasuke was left with Haku and the two had gotten to know each other really well. The two considered each other good friends already. Haku loved hearing stories about Konoha and Sasuke's family. Their friendship got to a point that Sasuke eventually asked Haku if she wanted to stay at the Uchiha compound when they returned to Konoha until she could find her own place to which Haku accepted. Throughout entire conversation, both Sasuke and Haku were blushing like crazy.

Everything was relaxed until while in the middle of Yakumo's explanation of a new genjutsu idea, Naruto stood up with a serious look. Looking at his team and Haku he said, "Trouble on the bridge" before rushing out the front door. Yakumo quickly followed while Sasuke turned to Haku knowing who it was on the bridge. "Haku, gather the town, it ends today" he said gaining a nod from Haku before quickly following his teammates.

Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke quickly made it to the bridge to find a short man in a suit and sunglasses, a tall man with long white hair tied into a ponytail and holding a katana at his side, and a mob of at least 200 thugs lined up behind the two.

The group focused on the short man as he stepped forward to speak. "So you are the ones who have kept that idiot builder alive. I must say that you've been a very big inconvenience for me, but if you throw enough money at a problem, it tends to go away" he said with an evil smirk. After Gato was finished, the man with the katana stepped forward flaring his chakra. As he unsheathed his sword, Naruto started walking forward with a smile. "You two take care of those thugs, leave this guy to me" Naruto said confidently. Yakumo looked ready to protest but Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "He'll be fine, for now we have a bridge to protect" gaining a nod from Yakumo, and with that the battle for the bridge had begun.

* * *

Naruto looked across the bridge at his opponent with a smile. "Why don't we take this to somewhere less crowded?" suggested Naruto to which the white haired man simply nodded to. Making their way away from everyone else, the two entered a clearing in a nearby forest. Upon arriving, the two faced each other, Naruto summoning his sword and his opponent unsheathing his katana. "I sure hope that you know how to use that thing. I haven't had a challenge in forever" Naruto said with a grin.

The white haired man chuckled at Naruto's statement causing the genin to frown. He then spoke to the boy facing him. "Yes not many can compare to the grace and power in which Sera wielded her blade" he said visibly shocking Naruto. "She certainly was one of our strongest members so I'm excited to see how her apprentice measures up" he said with a grin before flaring his chakra.

The genin started shaking and asked "H-How do you know that?" before getting his nerve back. The man smirked. "Well any self respecting swordsman would be able to detect the power coming from that blade. As a matter of fact your sword is even stronger than Sera's and her sword was the strongest I had ever come across. As for how I know her, that's a secret. Now let's get this over with" he said causing Naruto to fall into his battle stance.

Both swordsman ran at each other with each strike between swords causing sparks to fly. Naruto was swinging his sword trying to find an opening but his opponent's form was perfect. Naruto having enough of close combat jumped backwards and swung his sword releasing a chakra wave that flew towards the unnamed katana wielder who just smirked. When the wave arrived, he simply rose his katana and held his ground against all of the strikes compounded in the wave.

"Look kid, I've actually got an appointment to keep so what do you say we just end it right now, one last strike?" he asked angering Naruto who felt underestimated. The boy just nodded and held onto his sword tighter while making a final dash towards his unknown opponent while he did the same. The two ended up ten feet away from each other backs to one another. Naruto smiled before feeling a sharp pain and dropping his sword which vanished before it hit the ground. Looking down, he saw a large gash across his chest. Falling to his knees he had one thought, 'I lost?'. His opponent stood up and walked over to stand in front of Naruto.

"Well I must say, you are more than I expected. You even managed to nick my shoulder, but all for not right?" he said before shoving his katana into Naruto an inch above his heart and out his back causing Naruto's eyes to widen and yell out in pain. Just as quickly as the man had stabbed Naruto, he removed his sword and re sheathed it before turning away and leaving only to stop after walking a couple of feet. "By the way kid, the name's Iliel" he said before vanishing leaving Naruto on the ground holding his hand over his recent wound.

Naruto was holding the area where he had been stabbed trying to ignore the gash on his chest when he heard the sounds of battle. He needed to help his team. So with great effort, the genin rose and went as fast as he could in his injured state to the bridge.

* * *

(Sasuke and Yakumo)

Yakumo and Sasuke had started out strong but two hundred grown men, some of which were using weapons such as clubs, knives, and daggers, were starting to wear on the two genin. So far, Yakumo had killed fifteen thugs as she had started with making distractions in the beginning but had knocked out around thirty men. Sasuke had killed forty five people and knocked out thirty as well. Yakumo had started running low on chakra after using three powerful genjutsu and was now exclusively using taijutsu. Yakumo was adept in taijutsu but when she was surrounded by a crowd, despite moving as quickly as possible, she was unable to avoid the constant amount of blows but continued to fight on until a member of the crowd hit her in the back of the head with a club knocking her out. The men around her would have killed her if not for Sasuke making his appearance, using the Great Fireball Jutsu to incinerate ten of the men around Yakumo without harming her in the process. Before Sasuke could refocus on his group, he was hit in the back and forced to his knees. When he looked up, he was met with the disgusting face of just another thug except this one was holding a sword to Sasuke's throat.

"I gotta say kid, you gave us a good fight, but your time's up" the man said raising his arm to decapitate Sasuke. The genin closed his eyes and waited for the strike, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of a wall that seemed to be made of ice blocking the man's blade. The man looked at the wall in confusion when a fist came from the corner of his vision and punched him backwards quicker than he could defend himself. As he landed on the ground, he found three senbon stuck in his arm. The other men shaken from their slight shock at such a quick turn of events were able to locate the attacker who looked to be just a girl in a kimono. Before anyone could do anything, a layer of mist started to cover the bridge. When the thugs started trying to regroup, body after body began to fall to the ground each with a senbon in their neck.

Sasuke wondered what was going on since he couldn't see from the mist and behind the ice wall protecting him when a familiar face emerged from the mist. "Haku" said Sasuke with a slight smile gaining one in return from the girl who approached the genin kneeling down to meet his eyes. "Sasuke, I'm glad I wasn't too late" she said with a slight blush. "No, I think Yakumo over there is gonna need some help soon but I think the two of us should be able to take on the rest of those guys" he said gaining a nod from Haku.

Sasuke stood up with a little assistance from Haku. When the two were standing, Sasuke faced Haku and looked at her one more time. A girl who had started out as his enemy was now someone he trusted on the same level as his teammates, someone he was about to free a country with. He saw determination in her eyes and lost focus for a moment looking into her eyes. It was in this moment that both ninja failed to feel a new presence enter the area. When Sasuke finally felt the presence, he was too late. The thug that Haku had saved him from, shielding him from his sword with an ice wall, now had that same sword, pushed right through Haku's back and out her stomach. As soon as the thug released the sword from his grip, he received a kunai right through his eye and into his brain. As Haku fell with a look of shock on her face, Sasuke fell with her. Immediately, tears had started to fall from Sasuke's eyes and were also building in Haku's. Sasuke looked at her wound frantically trying to think of a way out of this. When Haku saw this, she smiled and placed her hand on Sasuke's gaining his immediate attention.

"Haku just hold on I'll get us out of this, just let me think, just" Sasuke was stopped from saying anything else by Haku who gently put her finger on his lips silencing him. "Thank you Sasuke. Thank you for making me feel wanted. Thank you for making me feel important" she said before weakly bringing his face down so that their lips met. Sasuke was surprised at the action but fell into it. He was reminded of the situation when Haku's body suddenly went limp in his arms. "Haku? Haku? Come on Haku, please don't leave. Wake up Haku! WAKE UP!" he screamed before yelling out at the sky. He felt a burning sensation in his eyes but he disregarded that as he laid Haku's body gently onto the ground and rose up. Turning to the remaining men, he clenched his fist and released all the killer intent he could. The group of thugs shivered when they looked into the boys eyes which were now red with two tomoes in each eye. Sasuke took out his last kunai and made a decision. These men would die by his hand even if he had to go down with them. That was their punishment for taking someone who was precious to him away. Sasuke ran at the crowd with a battle cry ready for blood.

* * *

(Naruto)

Naruto had finally made it to the bridge and was met with the sight of nearly one hundred dead men. Looking quickly for his team, he found Yakumo who had a small pool of blood coming from what looked to be a head injury and covered in various other cuts and bruises but still breathing. His eyes then landed on Haku who had chest wound and was not breathing which hurt Naruto's heart immensely. After limping further along the bridge, he found an unconscious Sasuke lying next to Gato who had a kunai driven into his throat. As he made his way to Yakumo, he noticed movement from the far end of the bridge. Sasuke, Yakumo, and Haku had taken out one hundred of the thugs and after seeing the viciousness of Sasuke had fled. But upon realizing that the boy that had horrified the group was out of commission, the remaining one hundred regrouped and returned to the bridge.

The genin was tired despite how quick his battle with Iliel was. The man had known where to strike so Naruto was in an immense amount of pain every time he moved and for some reason, Naruto could feel his chakra burning. He was so low on chakra that his vision was becoming blurry and he found it hard to stand. Knowing that this might be the end for him, he decided that it would not be the end for his team even if it killed him. So with a new source of strength and determination, he rose his arm and summoned his sword. Raising it to the sky, the swordsman shouted "Death Splicer" and swung his blade down sending his chakra forward in a visible wave that went speeding towards the crowd before falling to the ground. For a moment, nothing happened. The men started feeling good about themselves until the front line of men's bodies erupted with blood from hundreds of slashes. The same thing happened for the second line, third line, and so on. A few of the men tried to run but it was useless. The wave of sword slashes found them. In one attack, a hundred men were dead, the bodies shredded beyond recognition.

Naruto watched the effect of his attack from his position on the ground. When it was over, he looked over at the one most precious to him. Yakumo. With all of his remaining strength in his arms, the boy pulled himself to Yakumo before rolling onto his back. Luckily Yakumo was only unconscious and the bleeding had stopped. Her breathing was fine which was something Naruto was eternally grateful for. Taking her hand and looking at her beautiful face, he moved his head to look at the sky. With his most precious person's hand in his, he smiled accepting his fate. As he faded, the last thing he saw was a flock of crows flying in the sky.

* * *

Naruto awoke panting. Looking around, he recognized that he was in a Konoha hospital room. As he continued to survey his surroundings, the door to his room opened. "Oh good you're awake" said a woman with short black hair. "You gave us quite a scare" she said with a smile. Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Um who are you exactly" he asked which gained a frown from the woman. "It's me. Shizune. Come on I've been by your house plenty of times. You know, Aunt Shizune" she said with a smile hoping Naruto remembered her. Naruto nodded his head in recognition. "Yes. You are the woman who always stuck with Tsunade. I believe that this is the first time that we have ever met. Everyone always had a tendency to fawn over Menma and Narumi while completely ignoring me" he said with a hint of bitterness causing Shizune to gain a sad look on her face. Truthfully, Shizune had realized that she was wrong to ignore the boy and had been kicking herself ever since she heard about him becoming a genin. It had actually spread pretty quickly throughout the village about the strength of Naruto causing many people to try and get on his good side. Shizune really wanted to have a good relationship with him but knew it would be a tough road ahead.

Without a word, Shizune checked over Naruto's chart and nodded. "Just buzz me if you need anything, okay Naruto?" she said getting only a quick nod in return. Shizune sighed and left the room. A tough road indeed.

Naruto looked out the window at the village. 'How did I get back to Konoha' was the question on his mind before seeing his chart on the bedside table. Reaching and grabbing it despite being incredibly sore, he scanned over his injuries. Besides his sword wounds, the only real injury he had was extreme chakra depletion to the point that he almost died. 'Pathetic. I get in one small fight and end up in the hospital because of two sword strikes and too much chakra. Pathetic' he thought before looking at his hands and noticed that they were covered in blood.

He tried wiping the blood off on his blanket but it wouldn't come off. Slightly annoyed, he buzzed Shizune to come to his room. Not even twenty seconds after buzzing, Shizune entered the room with a smile. "Is there something wrong Naruto?" she asked and Naruto showed her his palms and gaining a confused look from Shizune. "Could I get a wet towel to wipe the blood off my hands please" he asked causing Shizune to frown and gain a concerned look on her face. "Naruto, there isn't any blood on your hands" she said. "Uh yeah there is. See? It's all over my palms, and arms, and and" he stopped before his eyes widened. "Kai" he shouted trying to get out of this genjutsu. When it didn't work, he began to hyperventilate. Visions of bloody unrecognizable bodies flashed through his eyes. He only found mercy from the visions when Shizune injected him with a heavy sedative. Ordering a separate nurse to stay and watch Naruto, she left for the Hokage's office.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Itachi was standing in front of the Hokage and Jiraiya giving his report of what he had seen involving Team 11's mission. He had already given the report of his own personal report and was now telling the story of Wave.

"I had finished my mission early and decided to check on my team's progress by heading to Wave. When I arrived, the entire village was on edge and practically hiding. I asked around about my team and eventually an old man was able to give me information on their location. The bridge. So I headed there and upon arriving, I noticed Sasuke, Naruto, and Yakumo were each unconscious. I created three shadow clones to carry my team to the village for some help while I looked for clues on what happened" he said before pausing getting a curious look from Minato and Jiraiya. "What did you see Itachi?" asked Minato. Itachi shook his head. "I apologize Lord Hokage. I saw well over one hundred bodies littering the bridge. Upon examination with assistance of my sharingan, cause of death was half by kunai, half by sword. When I returned to the village, I learned from one of my shadow clones that my team was settled in the home of the old man who gave me their location. i found my team and healed their immediate wounds as best I could. After two days, Sasuke and Yakumo woke up. Naruto did not wake I carried him on the third day along with shadow clones carrying Sasuke and Yakumo who still needed recovery but in a real hospital. I also became aware on the way here that Sasuke has awakened his sharingan with two tomoes in each eye" Itachi finished.

Minato could feel a migraine coming on. "Were the people that were dead ninja?" Minato asked. Itachi simply shook his head. Jiraiya snorted. "Your team who you say are gonna be better than the Sannin barely took out a couple of thugs who don't even use chakra" the toad sage mocked causing Itachi to tighten his fist and unconsciously activate his sharingan. "I stand by what I said. My team will be better than the Sannin. Better ninja and better people. They wont become a lunatic who enjoys experimenting on people, a drunk who doesn't care about her family's legacy, or a pathetic old man who can only spend his days peeping on women because he's useless for anything other than writing his poorly written smut. I'll warn you Jiraiya, do not ever insult my team in my presence or I'll let you feel the true wrath of the sharingan" he said with an angry look in his eyes.

"Enough!" Minato shouted trying to stop this before anything physical could occur. "Jiraiya please leave, I still need to finish up with Itachi." Jiraiya left through the window but not before leveling a fierce glare at Itachi. Minato sighed, rubbing his head and looked up when his office door opened and Shizune entered. Before he could say anything, Shizune spoke. "Lord Hokage, Naruto has woken up but just had a panic attack" she said quickly. Minato's eyes widened upon hearing the condition of his first born and quickly rose from his desk and shunshined to the hospital.

* * *

(Naruto's Hospital Room)

It took three hours for Naruto to wake from his sedative induced nap and was immediately met with the sight of his Hokage. Minato, realizing that his son was awake met his eyes. "When I returned to Konoha after killing one thousand Iwa shinobi, I was treated as a hero. I was given the moniker of "The Yellow Flash of Konoha", I was treated with respect, but I never felt like one. True I did my duty to my village, but not a day goes by that I don't think about the day that I ended the lives of those men and women. After making my way through all of the villagers and fellow ninja that wanted to buy me a drink, I made it to my apartment and saw blood on my hands. No matter how much I washed, the blood wouldn't come off. If your mother had not been there for me, I have no doubt that I would have killed myself. I just want you to know that you're not alone and if you ever need someone to talk about this to, I'm here. I may have been a horrible father, so bad that you may not see me as anything more than your Hokage, but I'm sorry for everything. You will always be my son to me, and I'll always love you Naruto" he said with a tear falling from his eye.

As Minato began to stand up to leave, he was stopped by Naruto who grabbed him in a hug and started sobbing. Minato's eyes widened before hugging back. In between the sobs, Naruto spoke. "It hurt so bad. The loneliness, always being ignored. I only wanted to make you proud" he said letting the tears fall. Minato tightened his hold. "I know son. And I'm so sorry that I didn't realize it until now. I'm so sorry" he responded. After a couple of minutes, the two released from their hug and wiped their tears. Naruto looked in his father's eyes, looking for any sign of deception before speaking. "I forgive you Dad" he said causing new tears to come from the two.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know that the fight scenes weren't written that good but I'm kinda suffering from writer's block. As for the group Sera was in, more about them will be revealed in future chapters. I also decided it will be a Naruto/Yakumo pairing.

LEAVE A REVIEW PLEASE!


	9. Back in Konoha

**Author's Note:** Hey guys I just want to say thanks for the reviews last chapter. I got some really constructive reviews and I really appreciate them. For the reviewers for chapter 8 I just wanted to say thank you as well as all my reviewers so far. Also wanted to address the chapter 8 reviews as well.

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm glad you like the pairing and are enjoying the story so far

Animaman: I really like the ideas you gave and I'm sure it will keep me from suffering from writer's block and update more quickly

UnsanMusho: I realize it seemed pretty quick especially since I haven't had a lot of character interaction with those in Konoha but forgiving his parents was really more about him being traumatized and needing someone at the time. There will be more character interaction coming up

* * *

Naruto was sitting at a table in Yakiniku Q, the restaurant that had quickly become a regular for Team 11, more specifically Naruto and Yakumo. Sitting in his chair, Naruto couldn't stop drumming his fingers on the table and was lightly sweating out of nervousness. Just a few days ago after being released from the hospital, he had asked Yakumo if she wanted to hang out at the usual spot to which she readily agreed. His intention was to reveal his feelings to Yakumo at some time during their meal. So here he was, trying to find anything to distract him from what was coming up in hopes of calming himself. He quickly thought back to his stay in the hospital after his and his father's reconciliation.

 _Flashback_

(Naruto's Hospital Room)

Naruto was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. It had been a day since the emotional conversation with his dad and ever since then, he had felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. In all honesty, he was bored and hoping that something would happen to gain his interest. His wish was granted as a red headed missile practically slammed the hospital room door open and before Naruto could react, was crushing him in a hug. When Naruto was finally able to process the situation, he realized that his mother was the one holding him and sobbing while she was doing it. Looking at perhaps the most powerful woman in Konoha and seeing her break down like this, his heart tugged and he felt a need to comfort her.

As Kushina continued to cry unable to stop the tears from pouring after seeing her son in the hospital, she felt a pair of arms surround and hold her. Looking up, she was met with her eldest son looking at her with genuine care at her. Something that she really didn't deserve. Ever since Naruto had first left, her mistakes and misgivings as a mother became visible to her. She had neglected and ignored her first born son and focused on Menma and Narumi solely because of them having the Kyuubi's chakra. The results had been that she had pushed Naruto out of the family and created self entitled, pretentious, arrogant brats. She still loved Menma and Narumi, as their mother she would never stop, but she hated what they were becoming.

After a few more moments of sobbing, Kushina looked up at her son's face and smiled. "I heard that you were hurt on your mission so I headed right over. That idiot Minato, when I get a hold of him" she said getting red in the face until Naruto put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "It's okay Mom, we knew the risks when we took the mission" he said trying to appease his mother. "Yeah I know but " Kushina stopped mid sentence and her eyes widened. Had he really just called her "Mom" or was it her imagination? "Naruto, did you just call me Mom?" Kushina asked shakily. Naruto smiled and nodded which resulted in another crushing hug and a waterfall of tears from the red hot habanero. Naruto would never admit it, but there were a few tears that fell from his eyes as well.

 _Flashback End_

After beginning the healing process with his mother, they had talked until she had to leave. A lot of barriers had been broken down and a lot of demons put to rest. It felt good to have his parents back in his life. Thinking about everything that happened since arriving back in Konoha, he realized that his parents had become two of his precious people. Precious people. That word brought a frown to his face. He had been surrounded by his parents and after being released from the hospital with Yakumo and Itachi, but he hadn't seen Sasuke since their return. When he had asked Itachi about him, the Uchiha just replied "He's dealing with some things" and left it at that. Before Naruto could think any further on the subject, he noticed his beautiful teammate enter the restaurant.

* * *

(Sasuke's Room)

Sasuke sat on his bed thinking about the one person who had been on his mind since the 'Battle of the Bridge' as the villagers of Wave called it. Haku. He didn't know how to feel about her death. Sasuke was heartbroken that she had died, and because of him no less. It both infuriated him and made him want to stab himself in the heart with a kunai. Before the battle, Sasuke had been planning to let Haku stay with him and his family, but that had been taken away by pathetic mercenaries who were only able to get the better of him due to attacking in such a mass amount. It wasn't until after the battle that Sasuke realized how much he truly cared for Haku, the multitude of dead men that day was proof of that. As Sasuke continued to think back on the mission, his thoughts drifted to Naruto. There had been times when Sasuke wanted to beat Naruto within an inch of his life. He was their leader, their strongest member, and he abandoned them. He may have taken action in Wave if not for two reasons. One, Naruto would kick his ass even as injured as Naruto was. Two, he knew Naruto always did what was best for the team.

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of his door. He was surprised to see that the visitor was not his mother for once, but his brother.

Itachi entered the room and sat next to his brother in silence for a few minutes. The Uchiha prodigy wasn't great at conversation, but he could see that his brother was in pain and needed someone to be there for him. "Sasuke, I know that you're in pain, but the only way that you will recover is if you open up. You have been in here since you got out of the hospital and it's starting to worry Mother. It's starting to worry me as well brother. So let me in and tell me what's wrong" Itachi pleaded.

Sasuke took a moment before answering. "During our mission, we picked up a girl named Haku. She was the girl that was lying by me on the bridge when you arrived" he said gaining a look of recognition from his brother. "During the bridge construction, me and her became close. I even offered to let her stay here since we were bringing her back and she wouldn't have anywhere to stay. She died because of me. She died protecting me. She died before I could even tell her how I felt about her. If I had been stronger or more alert, then she would still be alive. But I wasn't and now she's dead. I keep thinking of how I could have protected her and one consistent factor keeps coming up. If Naruto hadn't abandoned Yakumo and I, we would have slaughtered those insects and Haku would still be alive" the genin finished, clenching his fists so hard that blood began to run from his hands.

Looking at his little brother and seeing the look in his eyes of pure hatred, Itachi knew that he had to let Sasuke know why Naruto wasn't there. "Sasuke after Naruto woke up in the hospital, I spoke to him about the mission. The reason he left the bridge was because he knew that the swordsman that was part of Gato's army was powerful. He made the decision to get him away from the battle trying to keep you and Yakumo safe. When he fought the swordsman, he lost. Badly." This revelation made Sasuke's eyes go wide. "I have never seen a swordsman with as much skill or potential as Naruto and he has yet to reveal his full power. That being said, for someone to beat him in a duel much less do it without breaking a sweat worries even me. If not for him taking the swordsman away from the bridge and that very swordsman showing mercy, you would all be dead" Itachi finished.

Throughout the story, Sasuke's eyes had gotten wider and wider. Beating Naruto in a duel was unheard of. He saw how effortlessly Naruto had killed Zabuza, an A ranked missing ninja, firsthand. For someone to beat him in the way that Itachi was explaining seemed impossible. Learning this new information caused all of Sasuke's feelings of anger and desire for vengeance to turn into that of gratitude for saving his life and guilt for blaming his friend.

Upon seeing the look of anger on Sasuke's face disappear, Itachi smiled and stood up from the bed. As he started to leave, he stopped at the door. "I almost forgot to give you this" Itachi said walking over to Sasuke and handing him a paper. "Only sign up if you want to" he said before finally leaving.

After Itachi left, Sasuke looked down at the paper."Chunin exams huh?"

* * *

(Yakiniku Q)

Naruto and Yakumo were laughing at a story about Naruto's first time using a sword. As the laughter died down, Naruto gained a somewhat serious look on his face and looked into Yakumo's eyes. "Umm Yakumo, the reason I asked you to meet me here today was because I had something important to say." Naruto was nervous and began to muster all the courage he could in order to confess to the girl of his dreams. In a bold act, Naruto took Yakumo's hand into his causing Yakumo to develop a blush while Naruto's face was as red as a tomato. "Yakumo, you were the first friend I ever had in Konoha. When I was made a genin, I honestly didn't care about the village or anyone in it. I would not have gone out of my way to help anyone here because no one had bothered to help me. But you changed that. You showed me that there are good people in this village. People who deserve my protection. Over the time that we've known each other, I've noticed that you make me a better person. You make me into someone who actually feels compassion towards others, someone who is no longer indifferent to the world. You have changed me for the better and I want you to know how much you mean to me. I love you Yakumo" Naruto finished.

Yakumo had tears in her eyes. Never had she heard such a heartfelt speech aimed at her and she could have never guessed that she meant that much to him. Naruto had been bold in taking her hand in his, so she decided to one up him. Leaning forward before he could say anything else, she connected her lips to his. She didn't care that there were other people in the restaurant. As far as she was concerned, the only people on the entire planet were Naruto and her. After a fair amount of time lip locked with her blonde teammate, she pulled back. "Wow" she said gaining a rapid nod in response from the red faced boy.

"So I take it this means you feel the same way?" Naruto asked already knowing the answer. Before Yakumo could answer, Itachi shunshined in front of the two. Truthfully, Itachi had waited until the two were done with their "intimacy" to interrupt the new couple's date. "Hello, I hope I'm not interrupting anything" Itachi said with an amused grin. Yakumo turned beet red and shook her head no while Naruto simply muttered something about being a mood killer. "I just came by to give you both these forms to compete in the upcoming chunin exams. You don't have to compete, only if you feel comfortable." Itachi wasn't surprised when the two looked at him with determination and nodded.

With his job complete, Itachi left the two to continue their date in peace.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his chair turned and facing the village. Jiraiya had come by and was trying to get him to up Menma and Narumi's training and the Hokage was trying to ignore him.

"Minato listen to me!" Jiraiya said loud enough to get him to turn around and gain his attention. "The Great Toad Sage has spoken. He foretold of two that have received legendary power who will either save the ninja world or be the catalyst for its destruction" he said with a serious look on his face. "When I went back to see the Great Toad Sage, he told me that the day of the prophecy being fulfilled was nearing. We need to make sure that the twins are prepared for their destiny."

"Triplets." Jiraiya gained a confused look before it turned to slight shock at how Minato was looking at him. "I have three children Jiraiya, not two" Minato said standing up. "As for the prophecy, I nearly lost my family because of it. Nothing good has come from you revealing what the Great Toad Sage declared. Menma and Narumi have become arrogant and constantly underestimate their opponents believing that as long as they have the Kyuubi, they can defeat a kage level fighter. Because of that damn prophecy, Kushina and I neglected our first born which is a sin that both you and Tsunade have committed as well. I thank Kami that Naruto is at least somewhat normal, but I can tell that there is something dark behind the mask he wears. Something that he won't trust his own father with. No Jiraiya, you may train Menma and Narumi as you please but I am not going to focus solely on those two. I will bring Naruto back even if it means damning the entire elemental nations" he said with a look that Jiraiya had not seen since the day he earned the title "Yellow Flash of Konoha".

Jiraiya sighed. His star pupil always was an idealistic one. "Minato this is the fate of the world that we are talking about. Are you willing to let it die? Are you willing to have that much blood on your hands because I'm not and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Menma and Narumi fulfill their destinies" he said with conviction.

Minato just stared at his sensei for a moment before responding. "Jiraiya, it took my family breaking for me to come to the most important decision in my life. If I got my family back, never again would I let go. I would watch the world burn as long as my family was safe. I will train each of my children, not solely Menma and Narumi. And if Naruto comes to any harm and I find out that it was because of your "For the good of mankind" mentality, I will make you suffer until you beg for death" Minato said leaving Jiraiya with a jaw dropped and completely shocked expression.

After getting himself together and seeing that there was nothing left to say, Jiraiya left without a word.

* * *

(Namikaze Estate)

Kushina sat in the living room watching Tsunade teach Narumi more medical jutsu while thinking about Naruto. She was hurt that Naruto didn't want to move back in with his family, but was overjoyed that she was on good enough terms for him to call her "Mom".

"This sucks. Mom, can you get us a mission? I'm so bored. Get us at least a C ranked mission" Menma said from a chair across from her causing her, Tsunade, and Narumi to look at him. "I heard that the failure got an A rank" Narumi said immediately getting an angry response from Menma. "What?! Why should that worthless loser get anything. Why would Dad give him an A rank and not us!?" he practically screamed. Kushina looked at her son with a confused and furious glare. She knew that Menma and Naruto were not on good terms, but this was unbelievable.

"Menma how dare you talk about your brother like that? He is not worthless, he is not a loser, he is your brother. Why can't you understand that? You are supposed to love him and vice versa but it's like you don't want to" she said. Menma shook his head. "I don't love him. I won't treat him as a brother. He is nothing but a weak blight on our family's name. He is just a disgrace and the fact that we share the same blood is insulting enough as it is" he said before storming off to his room upstairs and leaving Kushina and Tsunade open mouthed. Narumi hated when Menma was upset and secretly, she felt the same way as he did.

* * *

(Team 11 Training Ground)

Naruto sat on the ground letting the light of the moon shine over him. It had been a good day. After his and Yakumo's date, the two had found Sasuke and tracked down Itachi to tell him that they were entering the chunin exams. Itachi's response was simply a smirk and a nod. After, the three hung out and trained at the training ground. Yakumo worked on new genjutsu ideas while Naruto and Sasuke trained by sparring each other in taijutsu. Sasuke didn't use ninjutsu in the spars for two reasons. The first was that he wanted a fair fight and Naruto didn't have a very big arsenal of ninjutsu. Second was that if he used ninjutsu, Naruto would use his sword which was not something he wanted to face.

He and Yakumo were happy that they were able to hang out with him. They had been worried about his mental state from the Wave mission but after today, he seemed fine. Before Naruto could go any deeper into thought, he felt a warm sensation on his bicep coming from his hidden summoning tattoo. His curiosity of the feeling of the tattoo was interrupted by the forming of mist and a large creature rising from the mist.

When the mist cleared, Naruto squinted his eyes to get a better look at the creature before his face lit up in recognition. "Levios?" Naruto asked and received a nod from the serpent that now was coiled around itself in the field. "What are you doing here?" Naruto asked curiously. Levios lowered his head as much as he could to try and speak to Naruto on eye level. It didn't work. "Naruto, my father and I believe that something powerful is coming and coming soon. That being said, my father wants to teach you how to summon him" Levios said. Naruto gained a confused look on his face. "But I already know how to summon" he said gaining a shake of the head from Levios. "No. You have never summoned my father before. To summon him in water is no small feat. It takes an enormous amount of power and if not done correctly, can have horrible effects on the body. Summoning any of the serpents on land takes significantly more chakra and puts a great strain on the body. We feel that you need to be able to summon us both easily on the water and be able to summon us on land so that means that you will have to undergo a brief training period with us to prepare yourself" Levios finished.

Naruto thought deeply on the subject before agreeing. As the summoner of the Water Serpents, he was all in on this. He needed the training if it led to him being able to summon the serpents at will. "Will I be leaving Konoha?" he asked. Levios nodded. "Yes, you will come with me to my homeland and when you have completed your training, you will return to Konoha" Levios explained. Naruto nodded before a question popped into his head. "What about my team and my parents? I'm pretty sure that leaving without a word will have some serious consequences" he said causing Levios to simply nod. "I shall have a few of our messengers give information on your absence to your team leader and your Hokage" the serpent said before wrapping his tail around Naruto and vanishing.

* * *

 **Another Author's Note**

 **Next chapter will be the beginning of the chunin exams. I know that the section on the twins was short and uneventful, but those two will have a major part in the story later on I promise. I think that I'm going to put the exams into two chapters but anyway hope you guys liked this chapter and sorry it took so long. Also please review. I enjoy hearing what all of you think of the story and it helps me in writing as well.**


	10. Problems and Solutions

**Author's Note:** I wanted to address the chapter 9 reviews and show that I do read and greatly appreciate all of the reviews I get.

AnimeKing211: If you hate the siblings now just wait they get worse but I will say that they will have a bigger effect on the story then Raditz. I also hated Raditz as well

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm happy that you are enjoying the story so far and thank you for your continuous support

MarethyuQ: Appreciate the comment and I'm glad that you like the story

clio1111: Menma and Narumi definitely need a beating and it may be from Naruto or it may be from someone else. Only time will tell :)

Animaman: Thank you for the review, it has given me a lot to think about in terms of ideas for the story. The pairing is going to be Naruto and Yakumo. I don't really want to do a harem so there won't be any new girls added. I think after you read this chapter you will see if the twins are redeemable and I will say that Tsunade is definitely redeemable. Also Jiraiya may be redeemable but right now is kind of a wildcard.

* * *

(Amegakure no Sato)

Nagato and Konan sat in the rain wondering when everything went so wrong. Scattered among them were several dead bodies, each wearing the same black cloak with red clouds. These corpses that now lie lifeless on the ground were each S rank ninja part of an organization known as the Akatsuki. The leader of this organization was Nagato Uzumaki but now there was no one to lead. Out of the group, only he and Konan remained.

"Nagato, we need to leave" Konan said worriedly to a blank faced Nagato. The red headed rinnegan user simply shook his head at Konan's suggestion. "No Konan, you need to leave. I am not healthy enough to travel. You know what must be done and unfortunately I will not be able to assist you. Go and find your sister for she is the only one who can stop those monsters from destroying this world" he said, his breath shortening. His time was coming to a close.

"NO! I won't leave you Nagato! You are all I have left. I won't leave you, I can't leave you" she said as tears started streaming. The feeling of a hand on her face drew her out of her depressed trance. Looking at Nagato, she saw a smile on his face. Something that hadn't happened since the formation of the Akatsuki. "Konan, you are the most important person in my life. I'm sorry that I tried to lead you down the dark path that I followed. When I pass on, the responsibility of taking care of this world falls to you. Only you can sense the power that your sister holds so go. Find her and preserve peace for this world" Nagato said before looking to the sky and smiling. With those last words, Nagato Uzumaki died.

Konan watched as her oldest friend died right in front of her. As his eyes closed for the last time, she tried to shake him awake. She yelled at him, screamed at him, and begged him to wake up, but it did no good. After hours of mourning and eventually burying Nagato she began to leave Ame. Before burying Nagato, she had removed and destroyed his eyes. Only he would be able to use the eyes of god, she made sure of it.

Reaching the gates of Ame, Konan strengthened her resolve and drew in everything she had to sense her sister's power. It took about an hour before she locked onto it.

"For Nagato, I will help you save the world sister. Here I come Sera."

* * *

(Konohagakure no Sato, Uchiha Estate)

Itachi was having a nice dream about pocky when he was awakened rather abruptly. Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of something that made Itachi jump up and nearly scream. A snake like creature that looked to be around seven feet total length was coiled on his bed. Before he could think about how to handle the situation, the creature performed a to say the least unexpected action. It spoke.

"Itachi Uchiha" it asked gaining only a slight nod from a still on guard Itachi. "I have been sent by my superiors to inform you that Naruto Uzumaki will be missing for at the most two months. He is currently training with our kind in our realm. Naruto will send weekly reports to you and your Hokage on his status and you may relay any questions you may have for him through the messenger. Also, Naruto said to tell Yakumo not to be mad and that he will make it up to her when he returns. Have I explained the message clearly?" the creature asked. Itachi once again nodded and watched in awe as the creature evaporated into mist.

'What just happened' was the major question on Itachi's mind before he sat down on his bed. Sitting down, he felt something wet on his bed. Getting up, he looked at the mattress and saw that the mist that had been left by the creature was so thick that it soaked his sheets. Sighing, Itachi gathered his sheets and started walking to the drying machine.

Immediately after exiting his room, Sasuke exited his room which was right across from Itachi's. When Sasuke met Itachi's gaze, it slowly traveled to what his older brother was carrying making his eyes widen. Upon seeing Itachi carrying wet sheets, Sasuke started laughing loudly muttering in between laughs about his older brother wetting the bed. The laughter awoke his parents who also came across the sight of Itachi with wet sheets in his arms and caused the two to join in the laughter. While the Uchiha family was entertained at his expense, a storm cloud formed over Itachi and he promised that Naruto would get punished harshly for this when he returned.

* * *

(Namikaze Estate)

Minato lay in bed with his wife in his arms, both sleeping peacefully but like Itachi were soon awakened by movement on their bed. As the two slowly woke up, they were to put it lightly shocked at the snake like creature in front of them. Unlike Itachi, when Minato screamed as did Kushina. How Menma and Narumi were able to sleep through the scream was a mystery. When Minato and Kushina's shock died down, the creature spoke.

"Minato Namikaze and Kushina Namikaze, I have been sent to inform you of recent events involving your son Naruto. He has traveled to our realm and is now training with my superiors. His training should take at most two months and he shall send weekly reports to inform you of his status. Any messages you wish relayed to him can be done so by simply telling the messenger. Have I explained the message in a clear and understandable manner?" the creature asked getting a nod from the two who were still getting over the shock of waking up to an unidentified creature in their bed. Disappearing in a shroud of mist, the creature left the husband and wife to digest what had just happened.

When the two finally broke down what they had just been told, they turned to face one another.

"WHAT?!" the two shouted which still didn't wake Menma or Narumi.

* * *

(Realm of the Serpents)

A general thought of what serpents were was that of a bloodthirsty monster that kills and eats everything that it finds in the most painful and brutal ways possible. Obviously their environment would reflect that. The sky would be blood red, there would be nothing but red in the water, the land would look like that of a battlefield. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Naruto stood in awe at the beauty of the world around him. The sky was clear, the grass was healthy and green, and the great lake that surrounded the land sparkled. It's color the most blue that he had ever seen any source of water. It was a paradise, an oasis, and for some reason a small part of Naruto was sad. His sadness stemmed from the fact that his world would never look like this. It would never be this beautiful. Naruto was drawn away from his thoughts as Levios started moving. Speeding up to catch up with him, Naruto continued to examine the environment. There were serpents in the water and there were serpents that were just laying on the ground, each different sizes. It seemed that Levios was larger than all of them.

The serpent and ninja came to a stop in a clearing of grass with a small pool of water in the area. Turning around and looking into Naruto's eyes as if searching for something, Levios watched the reaction of Naruto before speaking up. "This will be your training ground. Here is where I will teach you water and lightning ninjutsu. It is also where we will learn to work together as summoner and summon. I won't have those pathetic excuses for summons like the toads or snakes being more feared than the legend of the serpents. We will train hard to strike fear into our enemies. Any questions" the serpent asked.

Naruto thought over what Levios had said before coming up with a few questions to ask. "Why only water and lightning jutsu, I don't even know what affinity I am" he asked. "I can sense your chakra as well as what type of affinity you have. It is very convenient considering that those two are mine and my father's specialties" Levios replied. Naruto nodded before asking another question. "What do you mean by working together as summoner and summon? I thought that I summon you in serious fights and you take over." Levios just sighed. "No that is not the case. You have seen how the toads work with their summoner yes?" he asked getting a nod from Naruto. "We shall work together in tandem, strengthening each other's jutsu and one day being able to use spiritual mode. Before you ask, it is a form in which you and I will form one being together temporarily with access to incredible power that dwarfs that of any summon. That is the power of the serpents" Levios finished leaving Naruto's jaw wide open.

* * *

(Konohagakure no Sato, Team 11 training ground)

Itachi was at the training ground thinking about how he was going to break it to his team that Naruto had left for two months. How he would break it to Yakumo who he had heard just yesterday became the boy's girlfriend. He sighed, this was not something he was looking forward too. As his thoughts wandered off, he put it on hold when he heard Sasuke and Yakumo entering the training ground. As the two came to face him, Yakumo started looking around for what Itachi could only assume was Naruto.

"Okay team, I have some rather important news" he said before being interrupted by Yakumo who quickly asked "Shouldn't we wait on Naruto, sensei?" causing Itachi to sigh. "Yakumo please let me finish before speaking out of turn" he asked which gained a sheepish look and quick nod from the young genjutsu prodigy. "The Chunin exams are taking place in two and a half months. It is a series of tests used to attain whether or not you are worthy of being chunin. I want each of the members of Team 11 to enter. It is ultimately your choice but I believe that you are more than ready to gain the promotion. As for Naruto, he will be gone for the next two months" he said quickly looking at Yakumo to see her reaction.

Yakumo's eye began to twitch violently. "What did you say Itachi sensei?" she asked in a cold voice and Itachi could swear he saw the shinigami standing right behind her causing him to lightly sweat. "He has left for two months to train with his summon. I did not know he even had a summon but it assured me that he would come back stronger. It also said to tell you that Naruto is very sorry and that he will make it up to you" the Uchiha finished. Yakumo's face immediately began to go multiple shades of red and an inferno was taking place in her eyes. "THAT ASSHOLE! I just became his girlfriend and he immediately ditches me? Oh he is going to receive a very well deserved punishment when he gets back. A rusted kunai maybe? Some salt and a hot piece of metal to make the cut hurt and cauterize it and then do it again? Yes, perfect. Hahahahaha" laughed Yakumo in a maniacal manner that caused Sasuke and Itachi to sweat drop. Sasuke didn't really care that Naruto was on a training trip. Sure he would miss his best friend, but in the ninja world you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

After Yakumo stopped her musings about the hundreds of punishments she could inflict on her boyfriend, Itachi regained control of the conversation. "Anyway while Naruto is gone, Yakumo, I will be teaching you how to intensify your genjutsu and also work on creating some genjutsu with you" he said making Yakumo's eyes go wide and completely forget about Naruto's training trip. To be able to create a genjutsu with Itachi Uchiha, the best genjutsu user in the whole village, was a dream come true for any genjutsu user. Itachi then turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I will be letting you sign the crow contract and teaching you more ninjutsu to go along with it. We will also work on using and maturing your sharingan." This statement made Sasuke go wide eyed much like Yakumo. He would be able to gain a summon just like his older brother. Sasuke noted in the back of his mind that he should thank Naruto for going on his little trip.

* * *

(Team 7 Training Ground)

Menma was locked in a taijutsu battle with his teammate Sakura Haruno for today's practice. Sakura for lack of better words was getting her ass kicked. She had never been one to physically train, she considered herself more of an intellectual. At this moment, she was seriously despising the fact that she chose looking good over building herself for the profession she had chosen. That thought process ended when Menma landed a vicious right hook to her face knocking her to the ground. The match should have ended there but Menma quickly followed up by kicking Sakura in the stomach multiple times before he was stopped by his mother.

"Menma what the hell was that? You had already won!" Kushina yelled furiously while without using a seal sent a shadow clone to get Sakura to the hospital. Menma scoffed at the question. "She was an enemy. If you ask me, she's lucky I didn't use my kunai" he responded gaining a nod from Narumi, a questioning look from Kakashi, and an even more furious look from Kushina. "That's just it Menma, she wasn't an enemy and this wasn't a real battle! That was your teammate and it was a taijutsu only spar. Menma, I have no idea what has gotten into you and your sister these past few days, but I've made my decision. If something like this happens again, I will have to recommend to your father that both of your ninja license be suspended" she said taking no joy from this conversation.

Menma and Narumi both held shocked looks on their faces. Kakashi would have been shocked as well had he not seen the dark transformation that the two kids that he had watched since infancy were undergoing. It concerned him greatly that Menma disregarded his teammate so casually but to be honest, he wasn't the only one in question. On the team's last mission which took place in the newly named Land of Spring, Narumi had suggested leaving Sakura behind to slow down a number of attackers when she injured her leg. The brother and sister were developing a darker mentality that was for certain. How dangerous it would be remained in question.

"Are you kidding me? We're the two strongest genin in Konoha, you can't do that. Is this because of that loser Naruto?" Menma yelled. Ever since the clan failure had come back to Konoha, things had been different. His mom and dad were calling he and his sister out on everything. After all of the years of saying how great the two were going to be, it seemed that only their godfather Jiraiya believed in them now. Their parents had started saying that they were too confident and didn't think things through. They needed compassion for others, they needed to learn humility, they needed to know the purpose of self sacrifice. All of this started because of the return of Naruto. Without him, everything would be perfect and they would be recognized as the perfect shinobi that they were. That's why he and Narumi had been meeting and discussing ways to get rid of the cause of their suffering. Menma and Narumi knew that killing Naruto in broad daylight may cause their parents to hate them more, so they kept planning new ways to kill their former brother.

Kushina looked at her children. She was deeply concerned and saddened at what they were becoming. It was her fault. She had let them turn into these things that she could no longer recognize. All Kushina wanted was for her family to come together as one but it seemed as divided as ever. Naruto acknowledged her as his mom which made her happy beyond belief, but Menma and Narumi seemed hostile towards the very idea of Naruto returning to the Namikaze estate. After shaking her head she simply said "Training is over for today" before walking to the hospital to see her student.

Kakashi simply shook his head in disappointment before vanishing in a storm of leaves leaving Menma and Narumi to fester in their anger. They were the protectors of the village from the Kyuubi, the children of the Hokage, and deserved to be treated with the utmost respect not chastised like children. It was this moment right here that the siblings made their decision that somehow they would kill Naruto and anyone who stood in their way. He had disrespected them and caused others to stop believing in them. He was the reason that so many were now reluctant to treat them as great as they deserved to be treated. Once they killed Naruto, the villagers would praise their names and the ninja would bow to them. It would start with Konoha and wouldn't end until the entire world bowed to them as the deities they were.

* * *

(Hospital)

Sakura lay in bed with bruises on her face, arms, and chest. The doctor had told her that she had a sprained wrist, a concussion, and two broken ribs. While thinking about her injuries, she noticed the door open and was surprised to see her red headed sensei followed by Tsunade the head of the hospital. When both sat down, Kushina was the first to speak.

"Sakura, I cannot express enough how sorry I am for what happened today. I should have stepped in sooner and I should have trained you better. I also should have recognized how unstable Menma has become. I truly am sorry Sakura" she said before bowing to the shock of the girl. After getting over her shock, Sakura simply responded "It's okay Kushina sensei". Kushina shook her head violently. "No Sakura, it's not okay. Because of me, you're lying in a hospital bed with serious injuries from a team spar. While walking over here, I came to a conclusion on a few things one of which being that I can no longer be your sensei" she said getting a saddened look from the genin. Kushina quickly continued. "Luckily, I have found a teacher who I believe will be perfect for you" she said with a smile. Sakura looked confused until Tsunade waved and spoke up. "Hello Sakura. Kushina has told me that you have talent in chakra control and are very intelligent. I think that with some hard work you could be a great combat medic and I would like to show you how" the medic finished with a smile. A speechless Sakura could only smile and nod.

Kushina looked at the sight with feelings of both happiness and sadness. "Sakura, you have the potential to be a great kunoitchi and my only regret is that I couldn't be the teacher that you deserved. I hope you know that while I won't be your sensei anymore, you can come to me with anything and I will try to help you as best I can. I'm proud of you Sakura" said Kushina. Before she could get up and leave, she was pulled into a hug from her former genin. It was a heartwarming moment and Kushina returned the hug, both the jounin and genin letting tears fall. Tsunade looked at the scene with a smile. The medical genius had a feeling that Sakura would become a great kunoitchi and knew that she could get her there.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato was in his office trying to conquer today's paperwork when his wife walked in with a serious look that promised more paperwork on her face. "Kushina, is something wrong?" he asked. Kushina was hesitant and was obviously thinking hard about something. "Kushina" he said knocking his wife out her trance. Regaining her composure, Kushina straightened herself and began the serious conversation. "Minato I need to schedule psych evaluations for Menma and Narumi and I have placed Sakura in a full apprenticeship with Tsunade so she will no longer be on Team 7" she said making Minato sigh in disappointment. He had known of his children's growing instability but hadn't thought it was this bad. Nodding at the requests he asked "Anything else?" which resulted in Kushina simply shaking her head and leaving.

Being Hokage could be a very rewarding position and it could be a very tiresome and uncomfortable position. Seeing a batch of genin grow into great ninja, watching the happy faces of the villagers and knowing that they believed in you, being respected by the village as a whole, all rewards of making it to such a position. Moments like these though were some of the disappointments of the job. Seeing members of the shinobi forces become unstable or unfit for their job, his children nonetheless, was extremely disappointing as a Hokage and saddening as a father. He had made many mistakes in his life, but none more than in his role as a father. He had made his first born son estranged from the family by putting a prophecy above his duties as a father. It was a miracle that Naruto had forgiven him, but he wasn't the only one to suffer from it. Menma and Narumi had been raised as if they were ninja in the world. What they had become now were self centered, egotistical, selfish, cruel, and unstable kids. All of this was the result of his decisions as a father.

* * *

(Realm of the Serpents)

Naruto was standing in the clearing that Levios had told him about learning water and lightning ninjutsu yesterday. Levios came out of the water nearby and slithered in front of him before expanding and rising to his true height. Naruto had to jump back a few times to give Levios space to grow and when he was finished, Naruto stood in awe. The serpent had grown to it's height of ninety feet. Without lowering his head to Naruto, Levios spoke at a volume that the human was able to hear even so far below. "Naruto, by the end of this training period you will be able to summon me on land and my father in water. It will take more concentration and chakra than you have ever summoned before. It will hurt badly but you will come out of it much stronger than before. But before we can begin, you have demons that need to be faced. To do this, you must go to the Stone of Sanctity" he said turning his head and looking at the lake which gained a questioning look from Naruto. "You will swim to the center of the lake and dive down. The Stone will reveal itself to you when your summoning tattoo begins to glow. When your arm glows, the Stone will glow as well. Follow that light to confront your demons and find the answers that you seek" he said before beginning to coil himself.

Naruto followed the instructions of Levios and took his shirt and pants off before stepping into the water. It took five minutes before Naruto reached the center of the lake. When he reached the center, Naruto took multiple breaths of air before diving down. As he dived down, he realized that he was able to see perfectly in the water and that this water felt almost natural to him. Disregarding his thoughts, he continued to dive deeper. After around three minutes of being underwater, Naruto's need for air began to make itself known but he brushed it off. After another minute, his chest began burning and his lungs begged for air but he continued to swim deeper. Twenty seconds later, his vision started to become blurry and that's when it happened. His arm glowed lighting up everything and gaining a similar glow five feet away. Fighting the need to breath a little longer, he reached the glowing light that was the Stone of Sanctity. It was a beautiful purple stone the size of Naruto's hand. Grabbing the Stone, the environment changed in an instant.

The Serpent Summoner was no longer underwater and his body no longer begged for oxygen. Instead he was in an area unrecognizable. All he could see was a multitude of colors as far as the eye could see.

"Beautiful isn't it?" a voice asked beside Naruto. Turning slowly to meet the voice, Naruto was shocked beyond belief when the voice was revealed to be his master, Sera. Unable to speak or close his mouth, Sera smiled at his reaction. After a small giggle from Sera, Naruto was broken from his unresponsive state. "Am I dead?" he asked which received a shake of the head from his master. "No my student, you're not dead. The Stone takes all of the experiences and memories of your life into account and brings you face to face with the ones that are holding you back. Apparently I've been causing you some distress" she said with a smile.

"I need you to tell me everything" Naruto said with a serious look on his face which made the smile fade from Sera's face. "Everything as in what? The Stone may know your experiences but I'm kind of dead. I mean I check in from time to time but between poker with the Shodaime Hokage and pranks on the other swordsmen, I'm kind of busy" she said with a laugh that quickly ended after seeing the look on Naruto's face. "Sorry, bad joke. Okay, so you want to know about the group that Iliel said I was in. They are called the Shinigami's Blade. It's a group of the entire world's greatest swordsman. They only keep five members at a time if memory serves me. I joined because they told me that together we could save the world and keep it safe. Like a fool, I believed that bullshit promise. About a month in, I realized what they were. A group of monsters who wanted to rule the world by fear. They never wanted peace, they wanted servitude. And though I hate to say it, it's possible for them. You see when I decided to leave, I barely made it out alive. After healing up and staying off their radar, I searched through every country of the elemental nations for a successor because I knew that it was impossible for me to stop them. I had almost given up until you asked me to teach you" she said with a smile. "I sensed it from the conviction in your voice and saw it in your eyes. You had the will and determination needed to become my successor and later down the line, the savior of the world."

Naruto was shocked. If what Sera was saying was true, then the world was in an incredible amount of danger. "Sera, if these swordsman are as powerful as you say, then how can you expect me to stand a chance against them?" he asked which gained a laugh from the blue haired swordsman. "Because Naruto, you will be the greatest swordsman of all of us. You hold the legacy of the most legendary swordsman in all of existence. I told you before my death that you were the eleventh in the line of history's strongest swordsman, each one stronger than the last. You will surpass me Naruto. You will surpass me and every swordsman in existence" she said with a proud smile. Naruto slightly blushed at the expectations of his teacher. "Um Sera, is there like a name for this line of swordsmen I'm part of?" he asked which had honestly been a question on his mind since the night he gained his sword. Sera smiled and replied "Nope" which caused Naruto to fall face down.

When Naruto sat back up Sera looked at him with a serious look. "Naruto, there is a scroll that I left in the care of the serpents. It contains the sword techniques of each of our group's swordsmen. Read them, learn them, and reach your full potential. I believe in you little brother" she said before fading away with a smile. Naruto smiled as well before the light around him began to fade and his surroundings revealed itself. He was in front of the Stone of Sanctity but it and his tattoo were no longer glowing. Realizing that his time with the Stone was up, he swam to the surface.

Upon reaching Levios, Naruto spoke loud enough for the serpent to hear. "Levios, I am ready to learn both the ways of the serpents and the ways of my past swordsmen" which gained a slight nod and what looked like a smile from the serpent.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you everyone for all of the support, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Big reveal of the chapter I feel is the fact that Sera and Konan are sisters. Konan will play a larger part in the story so get ready. I'm still deciding how big of a part I want Sakura to play. Intro to the chunin exams are next. Please Review it definitely helps.**


	11. A Return, A Consequence, A Choice

**Response to comments:**

Animaman: Sakura's redemption path will come from recognizing her own faults with the assistance of Tsunade and eventually Kushina. Menma and Narumi are psychos but they aren't going to be really stupid. They are actually pretty smart and powerful because of all the training they have received so they won't ask Jiraiya to help them kill Naruto. Also Jiraiya wouldn't do it because while he does believe in the prophecy, he's not completely blinded so he won't help the twins fall into darkness like that. The two will actually get rid of their summoning contracts themselves and how they turn out will affect Jiraiya and Minato more than anyone. Orochimaru's role in this will be decided next chapter. Thanks for the review it was really informative and constructive and I hope I gave some acceptable answers.

MarethyuQ: Sakura's role will grow eventually. She's only been training under Tsunade for a short time so she has a long road ahead but her role and skill will get better throughout the story. Thanks for the support.

PinkiePieParty122894: Thanks for the support I'm glad you're liking it.

UnsanMusho: After the chunin exam arc, a lot of things are going to come to light about the twins so his reaction to everything will be interesting indeed. Thanks for the review.

* * *

Yakumo was laying in her bed bored and tired. Over the past two months, Itachi had been pushing her and Sasuke to the limit in their training. Sasuke had matured his sharingan to three tomoes in each eye and had nearly mastered the Uchiha Interceptor taijutsu style. He had also learned how to summon crows and Itachi's crow shunshin. Sasuke had come a long way from the arrogant prick in the academy and she could now honestly say that she trusted him with her life. But Sasuke wasn't the only one on the team to improve. She had been improving her own personal taijutsu style by working on her flexibility and speed. The two months had also proven to be very productive in terms of genjutsu training. Itachi had helped her advance far enough that she no longer needed to paint the illusions to make them real. Her mentor had also helped her create a variety of genjutsu that ranged from confusing and disorienting the enemy to ones that were completely lethal. Yakumo couldn't wait to tell Naruto of her progress.

Naruto. Yakumo sighed. It had been a long and lonely two months without her boyfriend but Itachi made sure that she understood why he had to leave. Every week, one of Naruto's serpents would appear to her, give her a message from Naruto, and receive what Yakumo wanted to say to him. According to his letters, he had become stronger than he could have ever hoped. He never did go into what he had learned or the exact level he was at, but she knew that the ninja world was in for a shock when he returned. Secretly her questions weren't necessarily about his skills, but how much his body had grown in his time away. For now, all she could do is fantasize and make sure that she had tissues on her person in case she started to suffer from recently recurring nosebleeds. Before any more thought could be given to her boyfriend, a thick mist started to form in her room. Expecting another one of Naruto's serpents she was understandably shocked at who was revealed when the mist cleared.

Naruto stood in the middle of Yakumo's room. Wanting to surprise the girl that held his affections, he decided to reveal himself to her first. Over his two months of training he had grown three inches in height and his body now had a much more muscular shape to it. Wearing a sleeveless black shirt that showed off his muscular arms and summoning tattoo, anbu style pants, and his headband which now hung from his neck instead of around his arm, the boy stood with a smile. Opening his arms for a hug from his girlfriend, he was slightly surprised when he received a slap to the face but it was immediately followed by a passionate kiss. Hugging Yakumo tightly he simply said "I guess I deserved that" which got a nod from Yakumo causing both genin to start laughing.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his chair once again doing paperwork. It had been two months since he had seen Naruto but he understood why his son had to go. He once had to make a similar decision regarding his training with the toads and Jiraiya. Speaking of his sensei, things with the old pervert were becoming more and more troublesome. The sage was becoming a problem when it came to his misguided and deluded son and daughter. He constantly tried to put Menma and Narumi in a positive light for the fellow villagers and shinobi, hoping that they would each do their part to make the them as strong as possible. It unfortunately did the complete opposite. Almost every day Minato had to deal with complaint after complaint about his children and Jiraiya throwing their weight around. It eventually got so bad that he had to threaten Jiraiya with the punishment of no longer being able to see his godchildren. Putting his head in his hands, he thought about what was happening to his children. Kushina had tried as hard as she could to break them from their current mentality but it seemed that they were just too far gone. The brother and sister openly believed that the weak had no place in this world and that only the strong deserved to live.

Everything in terms of those two had completely gone to hell. Despite all of the attention and training the two had received throughout their lives, Menma and Narumi had turned into potential monsters. It hurt Minato deeply to associate his children with that word but it was the truth and both he and his wife knew that. At the moment, Kushina was helping Tsunade in teaching Sakura, her former student. Under two of the strongest kunoitchi in all of the elemental nations, the civilian born girl thrived and was said to have greater potential than Tsunade herself.

As the Hokage's thoughts drifted, it was quickly interrupted by the forming of mist in the office which lasted but a few seconds. When the mist cleared, standing in his office was his first born son. "Naruto, I wasn't expecting you! Welcome back son" Minato said with a wide smile. Walking up to his son, he grabbed him into a hug which Naruto returned. After their brief hug, Minato went back to his seat and motioned for Naruto to take the seat across from him. Naruto took the seat as Minato took time to examine his son. With a smile Minato started the conversation. "So Naruto, what have you been up to" Minato asked forgetting that Naruto had constantly kept him up to date on his progress. "Dad, I would like to ask that my team and mom be here for what I'm going to say" Naruto said with a serious look on his face causing Minato to quickly go into hokage mode. He snapped his fingers which caused an ANBU to reveal himself and ordered him to gather Team 11 and Kushina in his office.

Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered in the Hokage's office. Sasuke was surprised to see his teammate as was Itachi, but the older Uchiha hid his surprise much better. Kushina on the other hand upon seeing her son quickly glomped her son saying constantly how much she missed him and that he was never going away for so long. Yakumo watched everyone's reactions with a smile as she had already had her moment with Naruto. After the excitement of the genin returning home died down, he instantly became serious changing the entire atmosphere of the room. "I have brought some information that I didn't reveal in the letters because I thought it best to reveal it in person" the boy said causing Minato to lean forward. Naruto sighed before going into his tale.

"It starts when I left the village the first time" he said gaining a wince from his parents, "I met a woman in a forest named Sera. She is the one who taught me how to wield a sword and is the reason I have not only my sword but my summoning contract as well. All the times I have said that my sword is special, I meant it. Yakumo and Sasuke already know this but that's it. You see, when I finished my training with Sera she told me that my sword would appear to me and with it, a title. I received my sword in the dead of night and gained the title of "The Lunar Soldier". It was after I gained my title and summoning contract that I was forced to kill Sera" he said looking at the ground while Kushina put her hand to her mouth and her eyes teared up. Minato looked down in shame and then at his son in sympathy. After a short moment, Naruto continued his story.

"The reason that I had to kill her is because I am the most recent in a line of history's most legendary swordsmen. The catch is that only one swordsman in that line may live at one time. The moment I received my sword was the moment that Sera accepted what was about to happen" Naruto said and quickly wiped a tear from his eye. "My sword gives me multiple abilities, most of which I am only able to use at night. When the moon shines, my strength, chakra reserves, chakra control, speed, swordsmanship, and overall power are increased dramatically. Before my training trip it tripled, now it increases over ten fold" he said causing everyone in the room's mouth's to drop. Naruto was strong enough during the day, but if his power increased that much, he could be pretty much unstoppable. After seeing everyone in the room get over their shock, he continued.

"On my trip, I learned from the serpents how to work better with them as a summoner, mastered the lightning and water elements, and can now with great difficulty summon the most powerful serpent in existence. Also thanks to both Sera and the serpents, I was able to master a large amount of the techniques used by the previous swordsman in my line. Now that I've filled you in about my skills, I have really troubling news" he said with his face taking a dark look. "There is a group of swordsmen called the Shinigami's Blade. They are five of the strongest swordsmen on the planet. I'm not sure exactly how strong they are, but I have no doubt that if all five were to attack Konoha, we would fall" he finished causing everyone to go pale.

After the bombshell that Naruto had dropped, Minato told everyone that they were free to go and that he had to think about things. None of the group that knew the information slept very well that night.

* * *

(Training Ground 7)

Kushina and Kakashi were standing in the middle of the training ground when Narumi and Menma arrived. Both siblings were shocked because while it was normal for their mother to be on time, Kakashi rarely ever was. Approaching their senseis, the two were stopped when their mother put her hand up. After a long moment of looking her children over, Kushina spoke. "I do not know if you know this, but today the Chunin Exams begin" she stated gaining an interested and somewhat excited look in her children's eyes. "So where do we go for the exams?" questioned Narumi. Kushina stared at her daughter once again before taking a deep breath. "You don't. Both Kakashi and I have deemed you two unworthy of becoming chunin so you will not take part in this year's exams" she said immediately getting cries of outrage from her son and daughter.

"Are you kidding me? Why the hell not, we're the strongest genin in the village. We deserve to be chunin" yelled out Narumi which caused Kushina to snap. "YOU DESERVE NOTHING! ALL YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE HAD EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU! NO MORE!" she shouted unwilling to hear anymore of their ridiculous resons for being chunin. "Is Naruto taking the exams?" asked Menma in an angry tone. Kushina hesitated before nodding. "Naruto and his teammates have proven that they are qualified to take the exams with the other genin" she said.

Everything was quiet until Menma spoke again. "So that's it? You're just gonna throw us away for that piece of trash? Scum like him deserves to die and I would be more than happy to do it" he said which gained an immediate slap from Kushina. "How dare you! Your father and I have given both of you everything you could have asked for your entire lives while we completely abandoned Naruto you ungrateful little brat. As for your comment about your brother, I will mark it down as frustration for now but if you ever make any hostile move towards Naruto, I will make sure that the two of you cease to be ninja forever. I will personally seal your chakra and throw you in the nearest mental ward, do I make myself clear?" she asked getting a quick nod and hateful looks from her children in return.

Once Kushina and Kakashi had left, Menma screamed out and plunged a rasengan into the ground while Narumi pulled fiercely at her hair. The prince and princess of Konoha had officially lost their throne and in their minds Naruto was the direct cause of it all. Had he just died when he left then the village would still worship them like they deserved and their parents would still devote their time to them. Both siblings were constantly plagued with the question of why? Why was Naruto so special? Why did their parents look at him with pride while they looked at them in shame. In Menma and Narumi's minds, there was only one solution to their problem. To kill Naruto. After he was dead then everything would go back to normal. The two were so deep in their hateful thoughts and plans that they didn't notice a figure approach them from behind.

The figure sat down on a log in front of Narumi and Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze which gained the attention and caution of the two. Before he could speak, Narumi and Menma removed their kunai from their sheathes in preparation for a fight. The figure chuckled at the sight. "You know, most people who pull a weapon on me end up suffering a very painful death but I'll let it slide this time. For now, I believe that I may be able to help you with your problem" said the figure with a smile.

Too excited at the offer the two immediately put their kunai up which gained a chuckle from the man in front of them. Now that their feeling of surprise was over, the two looked over the man who claimed to be able to assist with killing Naruto. The man wore a type of what seemed to be samurai armor with black gloves and boots. He had black hair and a muscular build but the most distinguishable part about him was a large scar that stretched from his forehead to his collarbone. The scar seemed to go through the right eye socket but the eye was still there and looked undamaged. The two sat down to speak with the man. "How could you help us kill Naruto?" Menma asked.

The man chuckled again which seemed to upset Menma. "Simple. I will train you. You see, you two are far too weak to challenge a shinobi of his caliber. Honestly most jounin would be hard pressed in a fight with him and the reason for this is the sword he carries. With that sword his power can reach heights that many ninja could only dream of but that doesn't make him invincible. I could train you both to become strong enough to kill that boy" he stated. Menma looked at Narumi who quickly spoke up. "I've never seen him with a sword and how do you know how powerful it is?" she asked gaining a dark look from the man in return. "Because the last person to wield a sword like that gave me this scar" he said pointing to his scar. Examining the scar, Narumi had another question. "Where will you train us?" she asked. "Not here. This village wouldn't take kindly to someone like me and I feel that both of your potential would simply go to waste. You would have to leave Konoha" he said but was a little surprised to see looks of apprehension on both of their faces. Needing to give a little push, the man decided to play on their dark thoughts about the village. "I take it that the both of you recognize what is happening in the village. You are no longer being treated as you should be because of the outcast. The only way to gain your reputations back is to take them" he stated.

Menma looked at Narumi who gave a nod. "When do we leave?" he asked and the man stood up. "Soon. You will know when to leave. All you have to do is make it to the forests of fire country and an associate of mine will pick you two up and bring you to our base. Make sure to wait for the opportunity" he said before being pulled into a pool of darkness that surrounded him.

* * *

(Front of Academy)

It had been a week since Naruto's return from his training trip and here he was with his girlfriend and his best friend about to take the chunin exams. Smiling, Naruto looked at his team standing behind him. Yakumo stood tall, confident in her abilities as a strong kunoitchi. Sasuke stood with a small grin and a look of determination in his eyes. "Well, let's show them who we are" Naruto said with a grin. With that the three chunin hopefuls took their steps into the academy to meet their destiny.

(Inside of Academy)

Team 11 made their way upstairs but upon reaching the second floor they were met with the sight of a girl with her hair in two buns pleading to be let past two ninja blocking a door. Naruto looked behind him and saw Sasuke shaking his head and Yakumo rolling her eyes. The genin group quietly walked past the girl and what Naruto assumed was her team. Before the two could make it to the stairs up to the third floor, they were stopped by a voice.

"Wait. You are Team 11 correct?" asked a boy in a bold cut. The girl and a Hyuga stepped forward to join the boy at his side. "And if we are?" asked Sasuke. "We were told to keep our distance from you but looking you over, you don't seem so tough" commented the girl with buns in her hair. Naruto chuckled which turned into a laugh while his team also had grins grow on their faces. "Avoid us or face us, it doesn't matter but the cardinal sin of someone in battle is to underestimate their opponent" spoke Naruto as he and his team continued towards the stairs. "What are your names?" asked the Hyuga who had not made a sound until now. "Isn't it polite to give your name first before asking for another's?" asked Sasuke. It was no secret that the Hyuga clan and Uchiha clan were not the biggest fans of each other but Sasuke didn't let his clan's prejudice affect his opinion. Itachi made sure of that.

The Hyuga was silent for a while before finally giving in. "My name is Neji Hyuga. These are my teammates, Tenten and Rock Lee" he introduced. Tenten waved and Rock Lee smiled widely at them. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. My teammates are Yakumo Kurama and Naruto" he said introducing his team who examined their competition. "So I take it you are the leader?" asked Tenten to Sasuke which caused him to chuckle. "What's funny?" she asked confused. "You will find out later in the exams why that question is funny. For now, we need to leave" Sasuke said as the team made their way to the third floor while the Hyuga's team stayed behind trying to figure out Team 11.

Upon reaching the third floor, Team 11 was met by their sensei, Itachi.

"I see that you three have made your choice. Listen, I want you each to know that I am so proud of the three of you. Each of you have the potential to go down in history as the greatest ninjas of all time, this I truly believe. So go and fulfill your destiny" he said giving a new source of confidence to the genin. With a nod, the three walked past their sensei and into the examination room.

Upon entering the room, the three looked at their competition. Most were standard genin but a few stood out to Naruto. The first one was a Kusa ninja that Naruto was sure wasn't a genin. She was obviously trying to conceal her power but he could tell that she was a definite threat. The second was an Iwa ninja who also seemed to be trying to conceal her power. She wasn't near as strong as the Kusa nin but powerful nonetheless. For some reason, the girl was staring at him with a look of pure hatred. The third was Kumo ninja who radiated power from deep inside of her. Naruto concluded that she must be a jinchuriki. The final genin he observed concerned him the most. He looked at the red headed Suna ninja that was staring at him. He had bags under his eyes, proof that he had not slept in a long time, and was leaking blood lust. Naruto was brought out of his contemplation by an Inuzaka who was gathering what looked to be his graduating class. Only being there for a day, Naruto didn't know their names but had a pretty good idea of what clan each were from. Seeing Yakumo and Sasuke join the Inuzaka and other genin, Naruto joined his team.

"So looks like everyone is here. Except for Menma and Narumi" Kiba said before noticing Naruto. "Oh hey, you must be Sasuke and Yakumo's teammate. I'm Kiba and this is Akamaru" he said pointing to a white puppy standing by the Inuzaka's leg. The boy held out his hand to Naruto who took it hesitantly. "Naruto" he said. "Naruto. Well welcome. Let me introduce everyone. These are my teammates, Hinata Hyuga and Shino Aburame" he said pointing to the two. Shino gave no reaction but Hinata gained a slight blush while examining the blonde. Moving on from his teammates, Kiba proceeded to introduce the rest of the genin. After the boy was finished with introductions, a pink haired girl entered the room followed by two regular looking kids.

"Sakura? I thought you didn't have a team to compete" asked the blonde known as Ino. The pinkette smiled. "Master Tsunade talked to the Hokage and I was allowed to take it with two genin who were also unable to take the exams because of injuries to their teammate. So here I am and I'm ready to give it all I've got!" she shouted while her inner self pumped her fist in agreement. "You tell em" shouted her inner self. "Well it's good to see you here" said Yakumo making her presence known. "Yeah I know. I've been learning so much from master Tsunade and Kushina sensei that I would've been really depressed if I didn't get a chance to show it off" Sakura said.

"All of you should be more quiet" warned a voice behind the group. When they turned around, they were met with the sight of a grey haired ninja wearing glasses. "Trust me, you don't want to draw attention to you and your team in the exams" the ninja continued. "Who are you?" asked Kiba voicing the question on the minds of each of the Konoha genin. "Oh, forgive me for my lack of manners. My name is Kabuto Yakushi" the newcomer said with a smile. "You said to trust you about the exams. Have you taken them before?" asked Sakura which caused Kabuto to rub his head nervously. "Actually, this is my seventh try" he said embarrassed. Kiba laughed loudly at his response. "Wow, you must suck" the Inuzaka said. "Yeah well the upside of taking the exam so many times is the experience and information that I've gained. Speaking of information, is there anyone you may have questions about" Kabuto asked with a smirk.

"What's the catch?" asked Sasuke who was growing more suspicious of Kabuto by the minute, a feeling shared by both of his teammates. Kabuto shook his head. "No catch. Just call it one Konoha ninja helping out another. That is what we are supposed to do right? Support each other?" Kabuto asked but didn't receive a response from Team 11. "Tell us about Konoha's Team 11" spoke Neji Hyuga whose team had made it inside the room just in time to hear Kabuto's offer. The other Konoha genin teams and even some of the foreign teams leaned in to hear the information. "Team 11. Okay I can do that" Kabuto said pulling out three cards. "First up, Yakumo Kurama. Genjutsu prodigy who was formerly under the tutelage of Kurenai Yuhi but left her after constant events dealing with the demon Ido which inhabited Yakumo. Ido was eventually sealed by the fourth hokage and she now learns from Itachi Uchiha. Not really skilled in ninjutsu but very passable in terms of taijutsu. Her team has been on fifty seven D rank missions and a C turned A ranked mission without their jounin sensei" he finished making the other genin's eyes go wide.

Kabuto began to read his second card. "Next is Sasuke Uchiha. All around prodigy, skilled in the Uchiha Interceptor taijutsu style, specializes in fire jutsu, and is very skilled in terms of genjutsu but not as good as Yakumo. He is the youngest Uchiha to reach three tomoes in his sharingan in each eye" he said getting an annoyed look from Sasuke about the genjutsu aspect. It was true that Yakumo was far greater than him in terms of genjutsu, but he didn't have to say it out loud. "And last but not least, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Nothing shown in terms of ninjutsu or genjutsu but he is skilled in taijutsu" Kabuto said. The genin from Team 8, 10, and Sakura along with other genin that had been listening in simply shook their heads writing him off as weak. That is until Kabuto finished reading his card. "He is also incredibly skilled in kenjutsu, considered by his sensei to be the best swordsman in the entire village. It also says that he is the most dangerous member of his team" Kabuto finished while the rest of the room grew quiet. Naruto stared intently at Kabuto. His sensei wasn't someone who went out in the streets bragging about his team so how did Kabuto know what Itachi thought of his sword skills?

Before Naruto could contemplate what was going on, a large man wearing a bandanna and a coat popped into the room.

* * *

(Jounin Lounge)

Itachi, Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai were sitting in the jounin lounge talking about their teams and their chances of making chunin.

"I think Shikimaru has a chance to make chunin but I doubt it for Choji and Ino. It's not that I don't want them to make chunin, it's just that I don't think that they are ready" Asuma said smoking his cigarette. Kurenai nodded. She had seen Ino and Sakura's work ethic from a distance and had to say that they were a disappointment to kunoitchi everywhere even though rumor was that Sakura had done a complete 180 recently. "Well I think that all of my team will make chunin" said Kurenai proudly. "Kurenai your belief in your students is so youthful. I share the belief for my team as well" shouted Gai with a blinding smile. Asuma chuckled and looked over at Itachi. "Hey Itachi, do you think any of your students will make chunin?" he asked. Itachi chuckled shocking the others. "Oh they'll pass. Yakumo is unmatched in genjutsu, Sasuke is probably the most well rounded genin in the exams, and I wouldn't be shocked if they made Naruto a jounin. Kami knows he's powerful enough" he said with a hint of pride in his voice. The other jounin were shocked at Itachi's words but even more shocked that he believed them.

Today was very special for Itachi because to him, this would be the true start of his genin's careers as ninja. Today would be the beginning of his team showing the world their power. Smiling, Itachi left to meet the Hokage. He had been meeting with Minato a lot lately. His visits ranged from Minato getting his advice on village matters to learning more about diplomatic situations from him. It was odd to Itachi because it almost seemed like Minato was training him for something but he couldn't imagine what.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone thank you so much for the support. I wanted to say real quick that I'm not going to spend really any time on the first exam or meeting Anko even though I love her character. I know that some of you might not like it but it really won't have much to do with the story. Forest of Death will be brief but something VERY big will happen in the short time. Another thing, the whole Menma and Narumi leaving won't be like the Sasuke retrieval arc. It will be different but the two will become really important later on. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and REVIEW! Thank you everyone.


	12. A Fight With Two Snakes

Animaman: I'll be honest your review actually caused me to give Jiraiya more attention this chapter so thanks for the review. I will gradually bring information about Sakura's reason for redemption later on and Tsunade may have a moment in the future for redemption, I don't know it'll depend on how the story's going. I will say that Tsunade recognizes that even if she apologizes, there's not really a place for her in Naruto's life (so she thinks). I don't want to make Jiraiya so stupid that he would try to gain support to take down Naruto but I think down the line he will be able to redeem himself in Naruto's eyes maybe. SPOILER ALERT yes Orochimaru is a good guy, you'll see why next chapter. Naruto won't face the twins before they leave the village because it would be so laughably one sided that he would end them with probably one punch. I want to wait until later because the twins are going to get MUCH more powerful. Anyway thanks for the continued support, ideas,and the review.

AnimeKing211: Yeah the twins are evil and while the fight is down the line a ways, SPOILER ALERT there will be a second person fighting with Naruto against the twins. Thanks for the support and review I appreciate it.

PinkiePieParty122894: Thank you for the continued support and reviews I'm glad you're still loving it.

Gammagyro: I'm not sure if I'm gonna do lemons but I'll definitely keep you in mind. As for the twins learning that they are weak from Naruto, they won't fight him until later because I want them to realize that even at the peak of their strength, they can't match their brother (But it will be a close fight which may or may not have character deaths). I like your ideas about the team members especially Yakumo and Sasuke. In fact the Sasuke comment gave me an idea for a future part of the story. Thanks for the review and ideas.

* * *

Jiraiya walked through the village with a smile. It had been months since he had been in Konoha but it was a sacrifice he made to be a spymaster. Heading to the hokage tower, the toad sannin was preparing for the conversation he needed to have with Minato. Their last talk had not gone very well but he needed Minato to understand that the entire world was at stake. The twins' training needed to be upped, especially when they were revealed to the ninja world in the chunin exams. Reaching the tower, he hopped up to the window and went through it. Although this was his usual entrance, Minato seemed to take no notice and continued doing paperwork. Jiraiya frowned. His student must still be upset about their last talk.

"Hey kid, how's the village been?" Jiraiya asked with a smile as Minato raised his head to look at his sensei. "The village has been fine. The chunin exams have started so we're dealing with that" the hokage responded. Jiraiya's smile widened. "Yeah I heard. I was actually hoping that you would let me train Menma and Narumi for the final round. I haven't seen the little brats in so long, I wanna make sure they haven't been slacking in their training" he said. Minato stared at Jiraiya for a long moment before responding. "You can train them now if you like. They should be at training ground 7 with Kushina and Kakashi" he said which gained a confused look from the sannin. "Shouldn't they be taking the exams right now or do they start later today?" he asked getting a shake of the head from Minato. "No Jiraiya, it was decided by both of their senseis and by me that they would not be allowed to take the chunin exams this year" he responded.

Jiraiya was shocked. Menma and Narumi were the children of prophecy, they needed to be on the fast track to success, but they were being held back by their own parents! "What?! Minato why would you not let them in the chunin exams?" he asked. Minato took a breath. He was disappointed in his sensei. "They were not allowed to enter because Menma put his teammate in the hospital and Narumi tried to sacrifice the same teammate on a previous mission. The two have also shown signs of mental instability as well. They are lucky that their ninja licences haven't been suspended. Yet" he said which made Jiraiya even more shocked. "Let me train them! That's the main reason I came back as fast as I did anyway" he asked which gained a sigh from Minato. "I won't stop you from training them but Jiraiya, I'm done with their arrogant attitude. I don't want you treating them as if they're royalty, that's not what they need right now. If you ask me, I think you should try to train them to be more like Naruto" he said getting a frown from his teacher. "So that's it huh? You've given up on your kids? You're gonna neglect them for your other kid?" he asked. Before the sannin could say another word, he was slammed against a wall.

"Listen to me sensei. I have done nothing but try to get Menma and Narumi to grow up and become the ninja I know they could be. I sacrificed my relationship with my oldest son to do so, we all did. Me, Kushina, Kakashi, Tsunade, you. Don't you ever say that I gave up on them. The only child I gave up on was Naruto, but thank Kami I realized my mistake before it was too late. So go train Menma and Narumi, your "children of prophecy", but don't you ever say that I didn't try" Minato finished, letting go of Jiraiya. "Now unless you have information beneficial to the village, you're free to leave my office" he said. Jiraiya wordlessly left, thinking about Minato's words.

* * *

(Hospital)

Jiraiya made his way through the hospital without a word. Coming to Tsunade's door, he didn't even bother to knock before entering.

Tsunade looked up to see her fellow sannin enter her office. "What do you want pervert?" she asked annoyingly but was actually a little concerned. Jiraiya didn't look to good. "You okay Jiraiya?" she asked. Jiraiya simply sat down in a chair in front of her desk but didn't say a word. "Jiraiya, are you okay? Jiraiya? If you make me ask again, I swear I will punch you through that wall" she said which got Jiraiya to raise his head. "Tsunade, I think Minato is giving up on Menma and Narumi. Kushina might have as well. I need your help. We need to train the twins so that-" "Stop" interrupted Tsunade raising her hand. "Jiraiya, why are you interested in training those kids. Is it only because of the so called prophecy that the toads gave you?" she asked. Jiraiya shook his head. "NO! I love those two as if they are my own grandchildren just like I love Minato and Kushina as if they are my own son and daughter. I care about the prophecy but not as much as I care about them" he said strongly.

Tsunade looked at her teammate and shook her head. "What about Naruto? Where does he fit in your perfect family? Shouldn't he be included as a grandchild?" she asked which gained a scoff from Jiraiya. "Tsunade, we both know that the kid showed no potential. He just doesn't fit. You know this as well as I do" he said but saw that Tsunade had an angry look on her face. "Jiraiya, I made many mistakes. I was a fool neglecting a little boy who only wanted someone to notice him. We both were, and now I have no place in that boy's life and it hurts me deeply. It should hurt you too. If Narumi needs help with the slug contract she can come to me herself, but otherwise, I have a new apprentice. I realized my mistakes Jiraiya and it's about time that you realize yours as well" she said then went back to her paperwork. Jiraiya stood up and left very confused. He was sure that he would be able to get Tsunade on board for training the twins but instead she drops a bombshell of having a new apprentice. As he made his way to training ground 7 he couldn't help but think about the kid that Tsunade mentioned. Naruto. Why was he so important to everyone all of the sudden? He quickly pushed away the thought and rushed to the training ground.

* * *

(Training Ground 7)

Menma and Narumi were in the middle of walking up trees when their godfather entered the training ground. Upon seeing him, the two quickly rushed over to him hoping for a jutsu to learn. They had gotten here early and were told by their mother that they were to work on chakra control for the entire day. She had checked up on them twice now and said that she would be back and forth to check up on their training. "Pervy Sage! Are you gonna teach us a new jutsu today?" asked Menma which gained an irritated look from the old man. "I told you not to call me that" he said angrily but quickly switched his frown to a smile. "So kids, where's Kushina?" he asked. "She told us that we are supposed to work on our chakra control by tree walking all day" Menma replied. Jiraiya shook his head. "Well lucky for you, I am here to train the two of you!" he said with a large smile. "So are you gonna teach us a new jutsu or what?" asked Narumi who was already annoyed with the old man. Her brother and her were not going to be in the village much longer so they wanted to get all that they could before they left. The only reason that they weren't slacking off today was because they hoped that their mom would teach them something new if she felt that they did satisfactory work.

"Well kids, today I will show you how to create one of your father's most powerful jutsu. The Rasenshuriken" he said which made both Narumi and Menma go wide eyed. Looking at one another, the siblings both smiled wide.

* * *

(Entrance to Forest of Death)

Naruto was standing with his team among the other genin that had passed the first exam. Sasuke, Yakumo, and he really hadn't done anything but answer the questions on the test and watch as more than half of the applicants were either thrown out or quit when given the option after the risk of never being able to surpass genin rank was revealed. It was after the test was finished that an erratic kunoitchi named Anko Mitarashi burst through the window. Her appearance alone caused most if not all of the boys in the room to gain heavy nosebleeds. The fact that Naruto had a nosebleed as well was why Yakumo had kept her glare on him the entire way to the Forest of Death. After some words from Anko, the teams were finally able to enter the forest, each with a scroll.

* * *

(Middle of Forest of Death Time Skip 2 Hours)

Team 11 was moving at a fast pace towards the tower that they were told to take the scrolls. They had recently taken the scroll they needed from an average team of Sound ninja. Now, they just wanted to hurry up and get to the tower, especially Yakumo who had freaked out after seeing a giant bug. When Naruto and Sasuke started laughing at her, she quickly put the two in a genjutsu that shook both of them up enough that they had gone for an hour without speaking.

"So, you guys think we're almost there?" asked Sasuke as they continued to hop the trees. Before Naruto or Yakumo could answer, a giant tail smashed through the trees in front of the genin team who were barely able to avoid impact but still hit the ground hard. When the group was able to get up and form into attack formation, they were met with a sight that made their blood run cold. In front of them stood a giant snake but this wasn't what made the three begin shaking. On top of the snake stood a pale man with long black hair. Konoha's public enemy number one. Orochimaru.

"I must say that I'm surprised that the three of you were able to avoid that" the snake sannin said while the three genin stood in fear, no words able to form. Naruto, seeing his teammates in such a state, clenched his fists and strengthened his resolve to face the S ranked ninja. Walking forward to the shock and horror of his teammates, Naruto spoke. "What brings you here Orochimaru?" he asked which gained a sinister smile that screamed death from the man. "Ah, Naruto. I've heard of you. An impressive swordsman with well above genin level skills. I suppose it would be useless to ask you to join me?" he asked which gained a nod from the boy. Orochimaru sighed. "Fine, but fortunately or unfortunately for you, you are not my concern" he said before jumping of the snake and landing on a tree nearby. Naruto was confused about what the sannin said until the man snapped his fingers and the snake attacked. Swiping its tail, this time it hit Naruto knocking him out of the area. The snake quickly followed where Naruto was hit to finish the job.

Turning to the other two genin who were still scared, he smiled. "Now that he's gone this should be much easier" he said. As he prepared to jump at the two, he felt a sharp pain in his arms. Looking at his appendages, he was surprised to see two large tree branches sticking through the muscles and spreading throughout the entirety of his arms. Realizing it was a genjutsu, Orochimaru smirked and pulsed his chakra ending the genjutsu but was confused as to why the injuries were still on his body. Looking at the genin, he saw the brown haired girl smiling. "As you've probably realized by now, my genjutsu aren't just illusions. Those tree branches pierced both of your arms and shredded the muscles inside meaning that you're gonna need a pretty good doctor if you want to have use of them again so I recommend that you leave now" Yakumo said fiercely. Sasuke smiled at his teammate. She had come from a shy, frail, fragile girl to being able to stare down Orochimaru.

Orochimaru smiled in response to Yakumo's suggestion. "You took me by surprise, I'm impressed" he said with a smile. "But do you really think that a genin can take on a sannin? This is a minor injury, I assure you that it will not keep me from my goal. Although I will say this, you seem to have potential little girl. So I'll make you a deal, give me the Uchiha and you live. Does that sound fair?" he asked which caused Yakumo to pull out her kunai. "I'd rather die" she said preparing for her fight. Sasuke looked at the determination in his teammate's eyes and followed her example by pulling out his own kunai and activating his sharingan. "Last chance to get lost Orochimaru" warned Sasuke which gained a dark chuckle in response. As the snake sannin jumped at the two from his tree, Yakumo jumped back to begin casting her genjutsu while Sasuke stood his ground doing handsigns quickly.

"Great Fireball Jutsu" shouted Sasuke before launching a large fireball at the sannin knocking him to the ground. Looking at the area where Orochimaru landed, he waited for the smoke to clear. 'There's no way it could be that easy' thought the Uchiha as the smoke cleared out. Instead of the charred body of Orochimaru, a pile of burnt mud was in his place. Sasuke's eyes widened before receiving a kick to the back which knocked him head first into a tree. Getting up quickly, Sasuke turned to reengage Orochimaru in combat. The sannin meanwhile had one thought on his mind. 'He will make a great vessel' he thought before he began to be swallowed into the ground. Pulsing his chakra again, Orochimaru stopped the genjutsu but still had half of his body underground. Sasuke quickly took advantage of this. "Dragon Flame Jutsu" the Uchiha shouted as a stream of fire spewed out and engulfed the snake sannin. When the jutsu ended, Sasuke and Yakumo looked at the result and were met with the sight of a charred corpse halfway in the ground. Sasuke fell back onto the ground smiling. Sitting up but panting lightly, he looked towards Yakumo who was also lightly panting. He smiled and she smiled back. The two of them had just defeated a sannin! It was an exciting thought and had the two genin in a good mood until they heard clapping from above. Looking up, the two were met with the sight of Orochimaru clapping without a burn mark in sight and a large grin on his face.

* * *

(With Naruto)

Naruto sat up slowly and groaned in pain. Looking at his left arm, it was obviously broken with a part of the bone sticking out of the arm. Mentally going over his injuries, he felt pain sources in both legs, his ribs, and his head. After checking himself, he heard the falling of trees, a lot of them. Forcing himself to his feet, he held his right arm out summoning his sword and waited for the snake to appear. The genin didn't have to wait long as the snake cleared the trees and now stood in front of Naruto. Gripping his sword tightly, Naruto jumped up just in time to avoid the snake trying to eat him. As soon as he launched upwards, he yelled out in pain. Immediately after missing, the snake recoiled and prepared to launch again and would have but a wave of chakra came speeding down from Naruto's position and destroyed its eye. Hissing in anger, it wrapped around the tree, chasing upwards to catch Naruto. The blonde haired ninja continued to jump higher, a risky plan in mind. One that would require a specific amount of power, not too little and not too much, and he didn't have any time to concentrate. Reaching the top of the tree, Naruto took a deep breath. His injuries were starting to take their toll but he couldn't think about that or he wouldn't make it out of this alive. Taking one more deep breath, he pushed the chakra into his legs and jumped high above the treetops.

Reaching the peak of his jump, Naruto flipped so that he was in a diving motion. Speeding down, he gripped his sword and began spinning. Faster and faster he spun as the snake kept coming. When the boy was within eating distance, he opened his mouth and prepared for him to land in his mouth, but instead of just landing, Naruto's speed increased so much that a boom sounded throughout the air as he spun right into the snake's throat. Still speeding downwards, the blade began to shred the insides of the snake causing it to let out a cry of pain. A moment later, the snake fell to the ground, not moving and not breathing. As the snake continued to lie still on the ground, a bulge could be seen expanding in the middle of its body which was quickly increasing in size, Right when it seemed that the bulge couldn't get any bigger, the area burst open in a shower of blood and out crawled Naruto covered in blood and gasping for air.

Now that Naruto was no longer in danger of suffocating, he wiped the snake's residue off of his face and shakily stood up grimacing in pain. The spinning attack belonged to one of his previous swordsman and it was called Sanctity's End. While extremely powerful, it required perfect timing, balance, and speed to start the spin. Looking back at the snake, Naruto chuckled. It was a pretty good attempt for his debut of the move. And to think, that wasn't even half of its full power. His mind quickly shifted back to the situation at hand and with great pain, sped off towards his team, praying that he wasn't too late.

* * *

(With Sasuke and Yakumo)

Sasuke and Yakumo stood side by side panting heavily. It didn't matter how hard they hit Orochimaru, it just didn't seem to even phase him. Sasuke had a dislocated elbow, a broken jaw, and what he was sure was a concussion. Yakumo had an eye swollen shut and a heavy pain in her chest. They were getting beaten to a pulp and the sannin wasn't even using his arms! It both infuriated and horrified the genin. Sasuke looked at Yakumo and then at Orochimaru. There was no way that they were winning this, and they had no idea where Naruto was or if he was even still alive. Making a decision, Sasuke slowly stepped forward gaining Yakumo's attention and Orochimaru's interest.

"Orochimaru, if you let Yakumo go, I'll go with you" he said which caused Orochimaru to raise an eyebrow and Yakumo's one eye to widen. "Sasuke no! You can't give in to him!" she shouted at her teammate. Sasuke turned to her with a stern look. "Yakumo, he will kill you to get to me, this is the only way that you'll make it out alive. Thank you for being my friend Yakumo. Tell Naruto that I'm sorry and thank you. You two are my best friends so let me do this" he said with a small smile making Yakumo start to cry. "Sasuke, I won't let you do this. As your teammate and as your friend, I'm not letting you give yourself over to this psychopath for me" she said. She was about to continue until Orochimaru decided to add his input reminding the two that he was still here. "Sasuke, you will be coming with me regardless. As a matter of fact, your teammate has annoyed me quite a bit with her genjutsu so I may just kill her anyway and there is nothing you can do about it" he said with a smile which soon turned to a frown before jumping backwards to avoid a sword flying towards him. Looking in the direction of the sword, he was surprised to see Naruto enter the battlefield.

Stepping into the battle area covered in blood, Naruto called back his sword which reappeared in his hand. Both Yakumo and Sasuke's faces turned from ones of despair to ones of hope. "Orochimaru, your pet was strong, but not quite enough of a challenge, and honestly I'm a little bit disappointed" he said with a smirk which caused a small giggle from Naruto, a smirk from Sasuke, and a scowl from Orochimaru. "Took you long enough Naruto" commented Sasuke which received an eye roll and middle finger in response. "So Orochimaru, I hope that you're ready for me. I'll try to be gentle" he said. Orochimaru didn't respond but opened his mouth wide as a blade appeared out of his throat. Naruto tilted his head. "No gag reflex huh? I bet that's useful for your Friday nights" he said causing Orochimaru to attack which was easily blocked by Naruto's sword.

The shock on the sannin's face was easily visible. The Kusanagi was supposed to be able to cut through anything yet here it was being stopped by a genin's sword. Naruto smiled and pushed Orochimaru back following up with a slash to the snake's chest. The sannin was able to avoid the sword but was still hit by the chakra wave which knocked him into a tree. Naruto spun his sword in his hand. "You know Orochimaru, the first thing my master taught me was that it's the swordsman that makes the sword, not the other way around. You are a shining example of that. People like you, taking swords just because they have powerful qualities and calling yourselves swordsmen. It's pitiful and it pisses me off pretty bad. So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to give you the privilege of seeing a real swordsman's attack firsthand. Do you get what I'm saying? This is the end for you" he said with an amused look that quickly turned into one of pure determination and willpower. Raising his sword up, he shouted "Hammer Slash" and swung the blade down launching a massive wave at the sannin. Orochimaru tried jumping back to avoid it but it came too fast and slashed through his chest. He continued flying out of sight of Team 11. When the attack finished, Naruto smiled and fell face first to the ground.

Yakumo and Sasuke rushed to their fallen teammate. Right when they arrived, they too fell to the ground from the pain of their injuries. As the two were both kneeling on the ground, they took notice of Naruto slowly rising. Turning to his team, Naruto simply said "Let's head to the tower" before holding out his right hand helping Yakumo up. Sasuke rose on his own and looked at his leader in admiration. To be able to stay conscious with the injuries that littered his body and probably dealing with chakra exhaustion as well was nothing short of astounding. As the team started towards the tower, Yakumo was the first to speak. "The tower isn't far off so we should be there soon and we can get medical help there" she said which caused all three genin to smile. The idea of being able to finally rest and get rid of the injuries that plagued them at the moment was a good one to say the least.

* * *

(With Orochimaru)

Orochimaru finally landed near the entrance of the forest of death and was now lying on his back. Looking down at his chest he saw the extent of his battle with Naruto. A deep and bloody gash from his shoulder to his waist was the result of one sword slash. The boy was powerful that much was for sure. It was true that he had not been able to move his arms and if he could things would have ended very differently, but that wasn't the concern at the moment. He had to get out of Konoha and get himself healed. He began to slowly try and stand when he heard laughter that made his eyes go wide.

"Well isn't this a treat. The great Orochimaru beaten by a mere genin" said a figure that stopped in front of the sannin. "Iliel" Orochimaru whispered. "Iliel, help me I need to get this wound taken care of" he said which caused Iliel to laugh louder. "Help you? You failed us and you want me to help you? No Orochimaru but you will help me" he said before slamming his foot down on Orochimaru's stomach causing the man to gasp in pain. The kick caused Orochimaru to start coughing and choking up his Kusanagi. Before long, the sword was out enough that Iliel grabbed the blade and pulled it out of Orochimaru himself. "Take a good look at this place Orochimaru because this is where you will die. And once you're dead, I'm sure that the animals will have tons of fun with your body" he said before vanishing into thin air.

Orochimaru fell on his back and stared at the sky wondering how things ended up this way. Before he closed his eyes, he was able to see three figures approach him, each with ANBU masks on.

* * *

(With Team 11)

They had made it despite their injuries and lack of energy. When the three entered the tower, Naruto fell to his knees and Yakumo quickly knelt by him checking him over. Sasuke meanwhile took the two scrolls and opened them both after reading what was on the wall. With both scrolls opened, a poof of smoke appeared and out of it came their sensei Itachi with a small smile. The smile quickly dropped however when he saw the status of his team. Making two shadow clones, he took his team in his arms and sped to the medical wing while secretly thanking Kami that they were safe and made it on the first day. They were injured pretty bad and would need all the team they could get to heal if they wanted to continue in the chunin exams. As he gave his genin to the doctors, he couldn't help but wonder what type of opponents they must have faced to leave them in such a condition. Before the jounin could contemplate further, an ANBU appeared in front of him and told him to meet the Hokage at T&I.

* * *

(Near Fire Country)

Konan was following the power of Sera's sword. It's presence had just reappeared recently and it seemed to be leading her to Konoha which was still quite a distance but she needed her sister. The fate of the world could rest on Sera's shoulders and she would be there to help her sister carry the burden.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Once again thank you everyone for the support. I hope it is still entertaining. Next chapter deals with the preliminary round of the chunin exams, what happened to Orochimaru, and more. Also REVIEW! The reviews definitely help as I've gotten a lot of inspiration from the reviews that I've received.


	13. Revelations and the Prelims

PinkiePieParty122894: Thanks for the support and I hope that it continues to be entertaining. I appreciate the continued support and reviews.

Aclux: The time will come when the twins are defeated. Unfortunately it won't be until later in the story and their mentality gets even worse and more insane but they will get what's coming to them. Thanks for the review and hope you are liking the story.

Animaman: To be honest I haven't really given the toads much thought as of late but I like the suggestions and I'll have to think about it. The Kyubi will play a big part but probably not in the way a lot of people want. The idea of freeing the Kyubi or the biju in general interest me. I think that if he releases the Kyubi, he will end up releasing all of the biju out of respect to them and set them free. I will say that later on, the Kyubi will no longer be a part of the twins but will still be involved with the twins. Thanks for the review I appreciate the ideas you're giving me it has definitely helped me progress the story.

Natzo: I haven't decided if there will be a retrieval mission or not but when they leave they won't be back in Konoha for a while but if there is a retrieval mission and it goes wrong, it's not because the twins beat Naruto so we'll see. Sorry to disappoint about bringing them back but I hope that you will continue to read the story. I appreciate the review thanks for it.

UnsanMusho: I figured that not having his life cut short would have resulted in Minato perfecting jutsu and I thought that the rasenshuriken would be within his abilities. I appreciate the review.

Gammagyro: No need to apologize you've given me plenty of ideas and I appreciate them. You read my mind with the scythe idea and Sasuke using a sword. I really like the idea of having all three wield a weapon. As for life after ninjas you'll have to wait and see what happens. xSPOILER ALERTx Yakumo will gain two senseis later on that add a lot to her arsenal, cough Kushina cough. Her second sensei will be a surprise. Thanks for the review and ideas they've really helped me out.

raw666: Yeah, Jiraiya will take it pretty hard when he realizes the truth. Thanks for the review.

* * *

(T&I Building)

Minato, Itachi, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and five ANBU guards quickly walked through the T&I building. After five minutes of walking the group came to a stop in front of a jail cell. In the cell sat the S ranked missing nin and sannin, Orochimaru. The man had both arms chained to the ground as well as his legs and a metal face mask on him. Minato looked at the man who's betrayal had plagued his predecessor and his sensei since the day the sannin left. He also found it curious that Orochimaru had not said a word according to his ANBU. Regardless, there were questions that needed to be answered. "Open the cell and remove the face mask but keep the chains" ordered Minato that shocked everyone in the room. "Sir?" questioned an ANBU. "Just do it. Now" Minato ordered more firmly than before. Nodding, the ANBU opened the cell while the rest took battle stances in case the snake tried anything. After the face mask was removed, Minato walked forward into the cell and was finally able to see Orochimaru clearly. The man's veins were easily visible and his breathing was irregular.

Taking a step back, Minato closed his eyes in thought. Something wasn't right. What could cause a sannin to be in such a shape. The only things that came to mind were poison or- Minato's eyes widened. "Remove his shirt" Minato said quickly and the ANBU fulfilled his request just as fast. When the shirt was removed, the Hokage walked behind Orochimaru and his eyes grew even larger. There on one of Konoha's greatest traitors was an array of glowing seals on the sannin's back. "Sensei, come here!" he shouted and Jiraiya quickly made his way to his student. Upon reaching Minato and seeing what was on Orochimaru's back, his jaw dropped slightly. "What is it Minato?" he asked and the entire group listened close not knowing what was happening. Minato shook his head. "On Orochimaru's back are three seals. A loyalty seal, a control seal, and a decay seal. It seems that someone was controlling Orochimaru and what we're seeing now is the activation of the decay seal" he revealed blowing everyone's minds. A common question struck through the minds of everyone in the room, "Who could possibly seal someone as strong as Orochimaru?".

Jiraiya, the first to exit his trance, cleared his throat and asked "How long have these seals been on him?". Minato looked closely at the seals before gasping. "Sensei, they're at least 15 years old" he said making everyone gasp in shock. "But that means that Orochimaru never- Kami, my friend needed me and I wrote him off as another traitor to Konoha" he said, his eyes starting to water. "How long will it take to remove the seals?" he asked Minato with a hopeful tone. Minato took one last look before focusing a large amount of chakra into his hand and pressing it down on Orochimaru's back. The reaction was instantaneous. Orochimaru began to scream at a volume that left everyone's ears ringing. The man then began to cry begging for it to end, and then he went limp. Stepping back, Minato stumbled but was caught by his teacher who he smiled at gratefully. Orochimaru who was on the ground started to rise until his chains pulled him back down. Standing on his own two feet, Minato walked over to face Orochimaru who looked confused.

"Minato?" the snake sannin asked which gained a quick nod. "Where am I?" he asked which caused Minato to frown. "You're in T&I. Orochimaru, I need you to tell me the last thing that you remember" he asked. Orochimaru concentrated in thought before opening his eyes. "I was on my way to Ame to investigate a new group rising up as a last request from Sarutobi sensei as hokage. Where is Sarutobi sensei anyway?" he asked which gained a guilty look from Minato and a pained one from Jiraiya. "Jiraiya I have to get back to work so you fill Orochimaru in on everything, ANBU stay with Jiraiya, and Itachi you may return to your team" he said which gained a nod and bow from the Uchiha before vanishing in a flock of black feathers. "Kakashi, go ahead and head over to train your team" he said which gained a nod from the masked jounin before vanishing in a poof of smoke. Minato took one last glance behind him at the returning sannin. It was going to take a lot to get the man back in the village, but one of his duties as hokage involved doing everything he could for the innocent people of Konoha and if the seals on his body were any indication, the snake sannin had been innocent of every accusation that made him into one of Konoha's most notorious criminals.

* * *

(Chunin Exams Infirmary)

Yakumo sat by her boyfriend's hospital bed watching as he slept. It had been three days since they had arrived which meant that all teams had to arrive at the tower by tomorrow. All three days, Naruto had been unconscious. When she and Sasuke were told of the injuries he was suffering from, they were understandably shocked. Two broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured leg, two sprained ankles, a concussion, and chakra exhaustion. With all of these injuries, he was able to take on a sannin and save them. She smiled but quickly teared up again. This was the second time that he had to suffer serious injury just to protect her. She knew that she was a more than capable kunoitchi, probably the most skilled genin kunoitchi in Konoha, but seeing the boy she had began to love lying here made her feel so useless. So pathetic. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt since before joining Team 11. She was always told that there was no way that she could become a ninja because of her frail body and Ido. Even after the Fourth Hokage sealed Ido, no one believed in her, not even her parents. She never had anyone to believe in her until she met Naruto. The speech that he gave her so long ago at Yakiniku Q rang in her head as it always did in moments of doubt. Because of him, she no longer felt like a weak little girl but a strong and capable kunoitchi. But now, looking at Naruto her heart hurt so bad. What she wouldn't do to have the situation opposite so that it was her in the bed instead of him, but she quickly brushed those thoughts away. Naruto wouldn't want her thinking like that.

While Yakumo continued to watch over Naruto, Sasuke examined the scene with a smile. It was actually quite touching that Yakumo cared so much that she refused to leave his side. Her eye was still bruised from their fight with Orochimaru while he was letting his jaw heal. Luckily, they had been able to just pop his elbow back into place and heal most of the damage done to his jaw with medical jutsu. The same had been done to speed up the healing process of Yakumo's eye. Naruto however was a different story. Tsunade herself was brought in to mend his injured bones and even then they still needed a lot of rest. Thinking back to when Naruto appeared in the forest to face Orochimaru, neither he nor Yakumo really gave his apparent injuries much attention until after the battle. It just seemed normal now. Shaking his head, Sasuke gave his teammates and closest friends one last glance before leaving the area for the cafeteria. Unfortunately the Uchiha had left just before the teammate that had clouded his thoughts awoke.

* * *

(Naruto and Yakumo)

Naruto's eyes slowly opened as he moved his head as much as he could. When he finally started to regain consciousness, he noticed a figure laying face down and weeping into his shoulder. Looking at the figure he smiled recognizing that beautiful brown hair anywhere. Raising his left arm with a bit of pain and a lot of soreness, he placed a hand on her head which caused her to jump up in reaction. At first Yakumo was too shocked to say anything, but that quickly turned to joy as she smiled widely with tears still flowing freely. Naruto smiled. "I take it you missed me?" he said with a smirk which gained a small laugh from Yakumo. "Idiot" she muttered with a smile that quickly turned into a frown. "How are you feeling?" she asked in a serious tone. Naruto rolled his neck giving it a few pops. "Alright I guess. My arm is a little sore but I won't really know how much I've recovered until I get up and test it" he said preparing to get out of bed but was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw the face of death materialized in his girlfriend. "Naruto, you are not leaving this bed until tomorrow at the earliest. Do you understand?" she asked but Naruto knew it wasn't really a question. Nodding quickly, Naruto watched as Yakumo's death face went back to an energetic smile. "Good. Now do you need me to get you anything?" she asked cheerfully. Naruto looked down and nodded embarrassingly. "Could you get me a new blanket and a new pair of underwear?" he asked which caused Yakumo to look down and see a large wet spot in the middle of the bed. Nodding she rushed out of the room to get a nurse.

When she rushed out, Naruto chuckled. Yakumo's personality never got old. Nice and polite, always willing to help those in need, until you ensue her wrath. As the boy's smile faded, he looked to the left noticing the window. It was dark out and the moon was partially shining so getting out of his bed, Naruto opened the window to allow the light to shine in the room. Since it wasn't a full moon, his injuries wouldn't heal as fast but they would heal faster nonetheless. Even with the help he received, he would still end up fighting tomorrow injured. The thought didn't bother him that much seeing as he was probably the strongest genin in the entire exams without his sword so he slowly got back into bed and waited for Yakumo to return.

* * *

(Preliminary Arena)

Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke stood with their sensei on the top level of the preliminary arena. The Hokage and a jounin named Hayate Gekko had just finished explaining the rules and reasoning for the preliminary round of the chunin exams. Now, everyone just watched the electronic board anxiously waiting for their names to appear. Only a select few didn't show emotions of nervousness or excitement. The genin who remained calm were Naruto, the blonde kunoitchi from Kumo, the black haired kunoitchi from Iwa who just continued to stare at Naruto, and the red haired genin from Suna.

When the scoreboard finally stopped on two names, a cold feeling came over the entire arena. On the scoreboard, the names Hinata Hyuga and Yakumo Kurama shined. Upon seeing the match up, Yakumo smiled a dark smile that created some worry among her team while Kurenai Yuhi, the jounin sensei of Hinata gained a sad look on her face. It was a well known fact among the jounin and up about the situation between Kurenai and Yakumo. It started when Kurenai became the girl's personal teacher. Yakumo was a prodigy in every definition of the word when it came to genjutsu but unfortunately a problem arose with Yakumo. A malicious personality developed in the form of a demon possessing the girl. While the Hokage was able to seal away the demon, Kurenai still refused to teach Yakumo any longer. It broke Yakumo's heart and caused a strong hatred for the woman to develop in the prodigy. Now Kurenai had a new star pupil in the form of Hinata Hyuga and it infuriated Yakumo to no end. Now was the girl's chance for retribution by showing just how pathetic the Hyuga was compared to her.

Before Yakumo could jump down into the arena, Naruto grabbed her arm. "Don't lose yourself to hatred and don't blame the innocent for your pain. Your anger is towards Kurenai, not Hinata" Naruto said with a sympathetic look on his face. At first, Yakumo was angered at Naruto's words. He was her boyfriend, he was supposed to always be on her side! But immediately after, she realized that he was on her side. He didn't want her to lose herself. Nodding at his words, Yakumo made a silent promise to herself. She would end it quickly. There was no need to completely destroy her fellow genin.

After some words with Kurenai, Hinata made her way down to the arena with a nervous but determined look. After the two genin had taken their spots, Hayate announced for the fight to begin. Hinata immediately activated her byakugan and stepped into her gentle fist pose. Yakumo looked at the Hyuga girl with a understanding look. This was emotional for her. At first she wanted to smash the Hyuga bitch's skull in front of Hinata's sensei and her former sensei but now she just looked at the girl in a battle stance ready to give it her all. It showed on the Hyuga's face that she would go above and beyond to make her sensei proud. Yakumo didn't feel the exact same way, but she would make her sensei proud and show her former teacher what she missed out on. So without making a single hand sign, the genjutsu prodigy activated a special genjutsu just for Hinata, ending the fight as quickly as it began. After the genjutsu was placed, Yakumo started to slowly walk towards Hinata.

Hinata was confused as to why Yakumo was walking towards her while she was still in her gentle fist stance. Kurenai had filled her in on her opponent about her talent in genjutsu but as long as Hinata had her byakugan activated, her opponent's specialty was nullified. Yakumo was also apparently very capable in taijutsu but Hinata had her gentle fist stance so this was a match that should end quickly in Hinata's favor. Still trying to figure out what Yakumo's game was, she noticed as the scenery began to change. She was no longer in the arena, now she was at home facing her father and the Hyuga elders. "Hinata, it has been decided that you will not become the head of the Hyuga clan. When the time comes, I will pass my title on to your sister Hanabi. This means that you will now have the caged bird seal placed upon you" her father said without emotion. Hinata began to cry. After everything that she had done to gain favor with her father, he still seemed to hold no love for her. She did not resist as two main branch members took her away to be branded as a slave.

When Hinata was finally able to wake up from the genjutsu, Yakumo was standing right in front of her. "Forfeit Hinata" she said with an almost pleading tone. Hinata shook her head no and prepared to attack her with her gentle fist and win the match. Just as the Hyuga was about to launch her hand at Yakumo's shoulder, a sharp and unbearable pain shot through her coming from her head. Just as it ended, another pulse of pain coursed through her body bringing her to her knees as she screamed and tears streamed down her face. As soon as the second one stopped, a third pulse began. "Please no, I beg of you please stop. Kami please stop it" she begged holding onto Yakumo's hand. Yakumo looked at the girl shaking in pain. "Forfeit Hinata. Forfeit and the pain ends" she said which gained a surprising shake of the head from Hinata. Slowly Hinata stood up, barely able to stay standing because of the pain. As the pulses continued, Hinata cried harder but held her ground and slowly prepared to fight back. It was hard to watch and had her sensei shouting at her to give up. Yakumo looked at the girl in front of her in a new light. At the beginning of the exams, she wrote Hinata off as just a weak pathetic excuse for a kunoitchi, but here she was standing up to fight despite the immense pain that she was in. "Hinata, you've proven yourself. You are a strong kunoitchi and a worthy opponent. Now, all you have to do is forfeit and I will end the jutsu" she said with a soft smile. Hinata took a short moment to consider it and reluctantly forfeited. As soon as she said the words, Hinata felt a soothing sensation run throughout her body completely eradicating the past pain. Looking at Yakumo who now had her hand out to shake, she slowly took it and both girls smiled at one another before separating and returning to their teams.

When Hinata returned to her team, Kurenai quickly embraced the girl. "Hinata are you okay?" she asked concerned. Hinata nodded with a smile. "Yeah everything's okay" she said looking at her former opponent who was now being congratulated on her win.

While Hinata found comfort and peace in her defeat, the other genin and their senseis became worried. From their point of view, Yakumo did practically nothing. The genjutsu prodigy didn't seem to even be trying yet she brought her opponent to her knees in pain in a matter of seconds. It was unsettling and made them nervous about how strong Yakumo's team actually was. Throughout the short match, Sasuke,Naruto, and Itachi seemed entirely sure of the outcome of the match even before it started. The thoughts of everyone in the arena were interrupted when the scoreboard landed on the next two names. As everyone looked up, the names were surprising but the match up was interesting.

Sasuke Uchiha vs. Neji Hyuuga

Back to back Team 11 battles and both would have Hyugas as their opponents. A very strange coincidence that seemed to even surprise the ever stoic Itachi Uchiha. Well by surprised, a raise of an eyebrow but it still counted. Both the Uchiha and Hyuga quickly made their way to their places eager to start their fight. While the two prepared on the battlefield, the jounin sensei for Team 9 Might Guy made his way over to Team 11. His students Lee and Tenten followed behind.

"Itachi, I see that you've trained your team well to make it this far. I'm sure that our students will have a very youthful battle!" Guy shouted with a bright smile and a thumbs up. Behind him Tenten face palmed while Lee stared in complete admiration. Itachi slowly turned to look at Guy face to face. "Well I doubt that you will consider it youthful when you have to scrape your student off the ground" Itachi said calmly which caused Guy to frown and his students to take offense. "I don't know what you're talking about but Neji's got this in the bag. He is a prodigy after all" said Tenten proudly which gained a loud laugh from Naruto and a smirk from his girlfriend and sensei. "Look, you can believe what you want but this match is already over wait and see" Naruto said with a smirk. Lee was starting to become angry. While he and Neji may not be friends, they were teammates and rivals. "No you will see. Neji will win this battle as his flames of youth burn strong" the spandex clad genin shouted with fire in his eyes which gained another face palm from Tenten and tears of pride from his sensei. "I guess we'll just have to see. Now how about we focus, the match is about to begin" spoke Itachi directing their attention back to the arena.

As Sasuke and Neji took their places, both kept their eyes locked on one another in concentration. The two were barely able to hear when Hayate said to begin but both still entered their stances at hearing the words. Neji entered his Gentle Fist stance while Sasuke entered the Uchiha Interceptor stance. This surprised many of the onlookers as it was well known to avoid fighting a Hyuga in a taijutsu match. Despite this common knowledge, Sasuke had made his choice. Yakumo had beaten her Hyuga by defeating the "All seeing eye" with a genjutsu so he would defeat the clan of taijutsu masters with his "inferior" style of taijutsu. Activating his sharingan, Sasuke moved. Rushing towards the Hyuga, he raised his fist for a direct strike which prompted Neji to raise his hands in preparation to strike at the Uchiha's chest. Right before he reached the Hyuga, he jumped and flipped in mid air while his opponent went for a strike. Coming down from his flip, Sasuke was able to land a foot on Neji's back and push off. First contact belonged to the Uchiha.

Neji turned and looked at his opponent standing across from him. The Uchiha had made him miss with his gentle fist and landed a kick to his back. Going into this, he didn't think that the Uchiha warranted the use of his byakugan but the kick proved otherwise. While it didn't really cause any pain or damage, it sent a message. "Give me your best or get beat". Activating his byakugan, Neji prepared his Gentle Fist stance again. "You managed to land a hit. Enjoy it Uchiha because it will be the last" he said which caused Sasuke to smile and look up at his brother/sensei. When the man nodded Sasuke closed his eyes and began to focus his chakra. Using his byakugan, it seemed that Sasuke was enlarging his chakra pathways and pushing it towards his arms and legs. This meant that a well placed strike to his chest would extremely wound maybe even kill the Uchiha. It also meant that Sasuke's kicks and punches were going to be stronger. Just as Neji was about to charge, something he didn't quite understand happened. All of the excess chakra that was forced into his arms and legs had now been concentrated completely into his hands.

Sasuke smiled at his opponent's confusion. While training with his brother, he had developed a new taijutsu that was a gamble to say the least. It involved forcing his body to produce much more chakra than normal and sending all of the chakra he didn't need to live into his arms and legs. When he did this, most of the chakra that resided in his chest went to his arms and legs which meant that hitting him in the chest would be the equivalent of an elite jounin hitting a civilian as hard as he or she could in the gut. When the chakra was focused in his arms and legs, he concentrated it into his hands and feet to make his punches far more dangerous. While training with Itachi, Sasuke found out that his elements were lightning and fire. It was important because when the chakra formed in his hands, it heated them up to around two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. He was still working on turning the chakra into lightning form but for now all he could do was use fire. This form of taijutsu also required a lot of chakra control in order to keep the flames from burning his body or burning through his clothes. In the end, all he did was heat up his hands with chakra so that each attack burnt the opponent.

As the two rushed at each other, the taijutsu match began. Sasuke started to attack but was hard pressed to land a hit on the Hyuga who kept dodging while Sasuke did the same against Neji's Gentle Fist strikes. Finally seeing Neji's palm coming towards him, Sasuke clenched his fist and met the prodigy's hand. The result was instantaneous. Sasuke was pushed back and felt a slight burn from the fire chakra due to Neji's chakra disruption while Neji was pushed back as well but gasped holding his hand in pain. Seeing the Hyuga prodigy looking at him in anger, Sasuke stood straight and smirked. "You know it's funny. Yakumo beat your cousin's all seeing Byakugan with a genjutsu and you are about to get your ass kicked in the Hyuga's specialty. I would ask you to quit and save yourself the pain of getting burnt even worse but something tells me that you're gonna be a tough nut to crack so let's continue shall we?" Sasuke asked with a smile which gained chuckles from his teammates. Neji grit his teeth in anger and rushed back at the Uchiha. All he needed was one strike to the chest, that's it. One strike and it's over. With a new sense of determination, the Hyuga launched his Gentle Fist again which caused Sasuke to start concentrating again. Continuing to dodge the strikes, Sasuke was launching his attacks as well. Landing one on Neji's right shoulder and another on his left arm, the Hyuga's movements were becoming more stiff and slower due to the pain but the Hyuga kept on. Eventually Neji was able to land an attack on Sasuke's right arm disrupting the chakra that was keeping him safe from burning. The result was that Sasuke's arm became very temporarily unavailable. With this new revelation, the Hyuga constructed a new plan. He didn't have to land a hit on the Uchiha's chest, all he had to do was land a hit period. One gentle fist hit would cause the fiery chakra to backfire on Sasuke and burn him instead. With his new strategy, the Hyuga charged forward.

Sasuke had put distance between him and Neji. His arm was in pain from the burn he received in return for not being able to control his chakra. The form he was using was an unfinished product and obviously not his actual form of taijutsu but he felt that this new style was his best chance to beat the Hyuga in taijutsu. His Interceptor style was solid, but the Hyuga were taijutsu specialist for a reason and Neji was their prodigy. He could always use ninjutsu and end the battle but this wasn't about just winning. The point of him not using ninjutsu and Yakumo using genjutsu on a Hyuga was to show that even in the worst situations and match ups they could prevail. Looking at Neji, he could tell that the prodigy had discovered the glaring weakness. As Neji prepared to attack, Sasuke looked up at his team. Seeing them look at him with such confidence gave him a new form of strength. So, focusing his chakra Sasuke clenched his fist and launched towards his opponent. As the Uchiha charged with a battle cry, the fiery chakra became visible in the form of blue flames surrounding his hands. When the two met in the center of the arena, Neji launched his gentle fist and Sasuke launched his fist charged with all of the concentrated chakra in his body. When the hand and fist met an explosion of chakra sent the two genin flying backwards. Both lying on the ground, Neji's right arm was covered in burns while Sasuke's right arm was a mangled and bloody mess. The injuries were a result of the extreme burst of chakra in Sasuke's final punch. While Neji suffered serious burns from the flames, his Gentle Fist landed causing the chakra to burst, the impact of which seemed to break Sasuke's arm badly. Just as Hayate was about to declare a double knockout, Sasuke rose off the ground followed slowly by Neji. As the two met in the middle both knew that the damage to their arms needed immediate attention.

Sasuke looked at Neji with a cold look that caused the genin to shudder. "Forfeit now. This entire match I have only used taijutsu. If you continue, I will end you. We both need medical attention and you can't do your Gentle Fist properly without an arm. I on the other hand am still good for at least two more jutsu. Forfeit Neji" Sasuke said seriously. Neji clenched his left fist. The Uchiha was right, he couldn't continue like this. Anger and humiliation filled the young Hyuga's mind but the pain in his arm overcame that. Turning to Hayate, Neji said "Proctor I forfeit" and it was over. When Hayate announced Sasuke as the winner, the medical team came in and took both Sasuke and Neji to the infirmary.

Team 11 was proud of their teammate for fighting how he wanted even though it wasn't the most logical way. Both Naruto and Yakumo simply nodded when Itachi told them that he was going to check on Sasuke and turned their attention to the scoreboard. Two for two going to the final round for Team 11. Only one member remained. While Naruto and Yakumo were focused on the scoreboard, everyone else was focused on them. Team 9 was shell shocked that their strongest member was toyed with just like his cousin. Tenten was confused as to why Neji didn't use his Rotation but figured that using it would make it easier for Sasuke to hit him while Lee was astounded at Sasuke's youthfulness. The other jounin and genin's feeling of uneasiness towards Team 11 grew as it was apparent that the team was dedicated to not showing anything close to their true skill but was still able to play with their opponents in such fashion. Only one member of Team 11 remained and everyone was anxious to see exactly what he could do.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I am so grateful for all of the support that this story has received and I want to thank all of you who have supported it. I hope that I've continued to keep it entertaining. I know that this may have been disappointing in terms of combat depth and all but I'm really excited about the finals but don't want to rush it. Anyway, Orochimaru is a good guy in this and I'll go into it more as chapters go on. Anyway make sure to review. I've gotten a lot of really good ideas from reviews that have helped me keep this story going so REVIEW! Anyway, hope you've enjoyed it. Still more to come!


	14. Decisions Made

UnsanMusho: Thanks for the review. Orochimaru will play a pretty big part and getting the village's trust back isn't going to be a cakewalk.

PinkiPieParty122894: I Appreciate the review and I'm sorry to say that it wasn't Danzo who placed the seals.

Animaman: The repair of the friendship between Jiraiya and Orochimaru will take some time but Jiraiya is going to get help in realizing his mistakes, one of them being Orochimaru. Also there will be consequences in store for Jiraiya. For the twins, at the moment they want power to destroy Naruto. Despite how they seem, they aren't complete idiots and realize they'd be shut down pretty quick in their current state so they need to get stronger. I Appreciate the review and questions asked.

raw666: They are still going to be suspicious of him in fact he may never be rid of that suspicion I just haven't put him in enough yet to show the mistrust surrounding him. Thanks for reviewing.

MrSunshine744: I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope it continues to entertain you.

Gammagyro: I really appreciate your ideas so whatever you feel the need to suggest go ahead. I'm planning on starting Yakumo's reaper persona after chunin exams and for Sasuke, he's going to take fire jutsu to a new level. As for Naruto he has a lot of different sword moves in store and some of them will project multiple slashes. Now while Naruto helps Yakumo keep her head, there will be times when Yakumo has to do the same for Naruto. I haven't really thought about Hinata but that's an interesting concept for her. Thanks for the review and I hope I answered well enough.

sd74: Yeah I would've liked to go more in depth with her character and her relationship with Sasuke but it is what it is. Anyway hope you're liking the story and thanks for the review.

* * *

Naruto and Yakumo watched the scoreboard shuffle. The two knew that Naruto would be next call it ninja's intuition, the only question was who his opponent would be. The blonde haired genin stood watching and waiting for his opponent's name while also dealing an immense pain that was running through his body. He was nowhere near healthy as he was still recovering from Orochimaru and his snake, but Naruto had put worrying about it off. His thoughts ended when the electronic board stopped.

Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze vs. Kabuto Yakushi

As the names were revealed, all eyes were on Naruto. Two members in a row for a team was a coincidence but all three? Something didn't seem right. When Naruto began to walk down to the arena, his hand was grabbed and held onto. Turning around, he was met with the worried eyes of Yakumo. "Naruto, we both know that you're not okay. You need to heal so I want you to promise me something as you made me promise you. Promise me that you will end this as quickly as possible. I know that you'll win but every hit you take, every second you're in pain, it hurts my heart so much. I just can't take it" she said starting to let tears fall but turned so no one else could see. Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft smile. "Yakumo I promise you here on my life that I will always come back to you" he said before pulling the girl in for a brief hug. When the two separated, Naruto jumped down to the center of the arena leaving a smiling Yakumo behind. "Go get em Naruto, show them your greatness" she whispered.

Naruto stared across from him where his enemy wore a smirk. "Last words for a lover I presume?" Kabuto asked. Naruto did not answer the grey haired man, he simply turned to Hayate who immediately announced to start. The moment Hayate said begin, Naruto rushed at jounin level speed landing a punch directly into the stomach of Kabuto who was launched into a wall. As the dust began to clear from the impact, Kabuto stood there shocked with blood starting to drip from his mouth and a hole in his shirt where the hit landed.

"This is your one and only warning. Forfeit the match or forfeit your life Kabuto, it is your choice" Naruto said with a serious look on his face. Kabuto looked to the ground before a sound of laughter was heard throughout the room. Looking up, Kabuto wore a twisted smile on his face. "I will say Naruto, it's been some time since I've taken a hit as powerful as that, but it matters not for today it won't be my life that ends, but yours!" he shouted rushing at Naruto smiling. Naruto sighed and readied himself for an attack when suddenly Kabuto made a throwing motion. Seconds later, Naruto fell to his knees finding it too painful to stand. When the genin raised his head, there was Kabuto smiling his evil smile. "You must be wondering why you're having such a hard time standing" he said before two blue objects made of chakra appeared in his hand. "Chakra scalpels. You see when I threw them, you weren't paying enough attention to see them and as a consequence it has severed several of the tendons in your legs. This means no more speed bursts like before for you" he said with a smile before kicking Naruto in the face sending him a good ten feet away.

When Naruto finally picked himself up, he painfully stood to his full height. "I must say, you are quite tricky to have caught me off guard like that" he said popping his neck. Kabuto smirked. "So where is this sword that I've heard so much about?" the grey haired man asked with a smile that quickly turned to a frown of confusion when Naruto began to chuckle. "My sword? You are not worthy enough to even catch a glimpse of my weapon. No, I won't need it for someone like you. But you will be a challenge in my current form so I must act accordingly" he said whispering the last part to himself. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his body, on everything that flowed within him, and the beacon of his power. Though it was day, the power of the moon still resided in him. While this was happening, everyone in the arena including Kabuto looked at Naruto in interest.

When his concentration was complete, the blonde's eyes flew open and an explosion of chakra surrounded him before being absorbed back into his body. "Chakra release: Moonlight Residue" he said quietly causing Kabuto to frown. Before Kabuto could return to a body stance, Naruto appeared in front of him. This time however was different. His surroundings were gone and now he was faced with a Naruto who looked bigger and stronger than ever. Strong enough to kill him without the slightest bit of difficulty. Stepping back in fear, he wanted to run so badly but there was nowhere to go. "Remember Kabuto, before this match began I gave you a choice. Now you must suffer the consequence of your decision" spoke Naruto. When the darkness disappeared around him, he was left staring at the genin who he truly believed was no problem for him going into this. Now, he knew that this boy, no this demon was the bringer of his death.

The entire arena of genin, jounin, and the Hokage were silent and wondered what had just happened to make the previously confident man look like he had just seen death itself. Before they could ponder any further, Naruto took action. Grabbing the grey haired man's face, Naruto ran with it to the wall surrounding the battlefield. He didn't miss a beat as he switched from running on the ground to running on the wall at such a high speed that even the jounin were hard pressed to keep up with. Before anyone could diagnose Naruto's strategy, the boy lowered Kabuto's face to the wall still dragging the man with him at his high speed. A ring of blood quickly formed around the walls as Naruto only increased his speed. Just as Hayate was about to call the match to avoid any further bloodshed, Naruto launched into the air with Kabuto where the two somehow stayed instead of dropping like gravity demanded. Naruto looked into the eyes of Kabuto with a sad expression. "I take no joy in this Kabuto. I pray that you find peace someday" he said to the man who was missing half of his face but somehow still alive. Pulling his fist back, a glow of light began to form in Naruto's hand which caused a few of the spectators to look away. When the glow was absorbed into Naruto's fist, he launched it forward at Kabuto shouting "Divinity's Strike" which caused a burst of chakra that forced everyone even the Hokage to be thrown against the wall. It took ten minutes for the dust to clear from the battlefield and when it did, everyone watching was shocked. There was no sign of Kabuto, just blood scattered along the battlefield and covering Naruto's arm. Shaking, Hayate announced Naruto as the winner. For Naruto, it was a hollow victory. He didn't want to kill Kabuto or at least not in that way, but his hand was forced wasn't it? The genin was immediately reminded of his body's status when he fell to a knee and began to breathe hard.

Cursing in his head, Naruto couldn't believe it. He still wasn't strong enough. That attack had only been at about twelve percent of its actual power and it still wore him near complete exhaustion. As the medic team rushed in to bring Naruto to the infirmary, he elected to walk with the doctors instead of being carried out on a stretcher. He didn't care about the results of the rest of the battles, all that mattered was who he faced next for it would decide whether his sword would be revealed to the world or remain in darkness known to a select few for a little while longer.

* * *

(Back in the Prelims Arena)

Ino turned to her sensei in horror at what she had just seen. "Sensei, w-what just happened?" she asked still shaking. Asuma took a deep breath and fumbled for a cigarette as his last one had long since dropped from his mouth. "I don't know Ino, I truly don't. But that move was at least jounin level and his chakra levels reached above kage level. Someone like him shouldn't be in this competition" he said finally finding a cigarette to smoke. Across from the Konoha side, a red headed Suna genin was smiling. "Mother, I've finally found someone strong enough" he said to himself causing his teammates to inch away from him. Nearby, a blond Kumo kunoitchi had an interested look. 'Well, he does seem like he'll make a decent enough opponent' she said to herself. With the Iwa team, a black haired kunoitchi had one thought. 'I'll kill you Namikaze. It may be a challenge, but if I were unwilling to embrace impossible tasks I wouldn't be a very good future tsuchikage" thought the kunoitchi.

Back to the Konoha side, while all the teams had fear written on their faces except Yakumo of course, Minato was dissecting his son's match. 'The sudden change in Kabuto's demeanor was killer intent from Naruto directed solely at him so none of us felt it. What I don't understand is how his power rose so quickly. I suppose it could be like Tsunade's Creation Rebirth but this different. And that final attack, it seems that Naruto placed leftover chakra from the absorption of the earlier chakra into his fist. It's similar to Tsunade's powerful punches but once again very different. On top of that, why wouldn't Naruto use his sword?' Minato sighed. Team 11 had played with their opponents and not really shown any of their more powerful abilities. Minato knew that Naruto held back the most of his team. Had the genin used his sword, the match would have been shorter than it already was. The biggest question on his mind right now was one that had plagued him since his son's return. Just how strong is Naruto?

Kurotsuchi vs. Shikamaru Nara

The alert of the electronic board shook everyone in the arena out of their shock over the last match. The Iwa kunoitchi jumped down and walked to the center of the arena while the lazy Konoha genin simply walked down the stairs slowly, muttering "troublesome" the whole way down. When the two met in the center, Hayate prepared to start the match. Kurotsuchi stood tall and proud looking in disgust at the weakling that she had to face while the Nara just lazily stared at his opponent. When Hayate said to begin, neither combatant moved.

Kurotsuchi smiled arrogantly. "If I wasn't so battle starved then I'd suggest that you forfeit, but I could use a small workout. You don't seem like much competition but then again neither do any of you other fellow tree huggers. Me on the other hand, well let's just say that I'm one of the best that Iwa has to offer so this should be over quickly" she said with a smirk. "This is so troublesome. Why did I have to sign up for this? I'd much rather be just staring at the clouds then having to stand here and listen to you" he said plainly, bringing a frown to the Iwa genin's face. "Fights are won through strategy, not by flashing your arrogance all over the battlefield" Shikamaru continued. "You need a battle plan to win a battle. A plan like say, letting your opponent drone on about how great they are all the while setting them up for defeat" he said bringing his hands together. Just as Kurotsuchi was about to comment, she felt her whole body go stiff. Unable to move, she looked at her opponent who stared right back at her. "I would explain it to you but it would be too troublesome" said Shikamaru as he lowered his hands forcing Kurotscuchi to do the same.

Up in the stands, Shikamaru's sensei Asuma Sarutobi was smiling. Kurenai, noticing the smile that was spread across her fellow jounin's face quickly asked why he was smiling. "Fun fact about Shikamaru is that the kid's a genius. When it comes to strategy, I doubt there's a genin alive that's Iwa genin was so sure of herself that she didn't even realize that she was being played by Shikamaru until it was too late" he answered with a cigarette still in his mouth. Kurenai stared at Asuma and then at Shikamaru without a word. 'To be able to win based on strategy alone. Impressive' the female jounin thought. Ino and Choji smiled at the fact that Shikamaru had captured the Iwa genin in his clan's signature Shadow Imitation Jutsu knowing that the match was over.

As Shikamaru moved his hand, so did Kurotsuchi as were the effects of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu. Shikamaru forced Kurotsuchi to grab one of her kunai and slowly place it to her neck. "Forfeit" he said lazily while Kurotsuchi held the kunai to her neck. "If I don't?" she asked her smirk never leaving her face. She was immediately forced to push the edge of the kunai into her neck drawing a little blood. "It'd be troublesome to have to kill you. You lost, just accept it and live to see another day" Shikamaru said his expression never changing. Kurotsuchi chuckled. "My my, aren't we presumptuous" she said before her mouth began to fill up. Before Shikamaru could question what was happening, Kurotsuchi sent a ball of something flying towards him causing him to end his jutsu. After avoiding the ball, he looked behind him at the wall in which the ball landed only to see molten rock covering the wall. Looking back at Kurotsuchi, he noticed that she was still smiling. "Do you really think that I would enter Konoha without knowing about the more prestigious clans of this pitiful excuse for a ninja village? You see, I know your type of ninja. You rely completely on your clan's techniques and neglect everything else. You neglect basic ninja skills but I guess I can't blame you for that. It seems to be a common trait among ninja belonging to clans in this Kami forsaken village. Meanwhile in real ninja villages like Iwa, we train ourselves to the ground to improve all of our skills. Anyway, I've droned on long enough. Let's continue shall we?" she said rushing forwards at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru put his hands together for his Shadow Imitation Jutsu and sent his shadow chasing after the Iwa nin but she was on to his plan. Now paying attention, Kurotsuchi dodged the shadow and continued towards the Nara. Upon reaching the Konoha genin, she swung and landed a hit to the face knocking him backwards. When the boy got back up, he put his hands back into position but Kurotsuchi was already there. Landing a kick to his solar plexus, she knocked the air out of Shikamaru causing him to fall to his knees. Before he could catch his breath again, Kurotsuchi came up behind the boy and slammed an elbow into his back knocking him flat on the ground. Kneeling on his back, Kurotsuchi placed the blade of her kunai to the back of his head. "I have no problem killing you Konoha nin, but I will give you one chance to give up" she said coldly. Shikamaru wasted no time in signalling his forfeit and ending the match. Kurotsuchi got off of Shikamaru as soon as the match ended and walked to join her team. Upon Kurotsuchi getting off of him, Shikamaru got up and walked back to his team with a small amount of shame in his heart. Sure he didn't really want to move on in the competition but what Kurotsuchi said had resonated with him.

Team 10 was speechless. He had it. They thought he had been playing her but in actuality it was the complete opposite. As the team met up with their teammate, Yakumo concentrated on the Iwa kunoitchi. She would be a difficult opponent in the future. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of her sensei in a shunshin. Looking at her sensei without surprise at his sudden appearance, she asked "How are they?". Itachi looked at his student. "They will be fine. If you want, you can go check on them and I'll keep up with what happens here" he suggested. Yakumo nodded and took off for the infirmary.

* * *

(T&I Building)

Orochimaru sat with Jiraiya across from five ANBU guards and Ibiki Morino, the head of T&I. "So the Sandaime gave you an S rank mission to infiltrate Ame and investigate a new group rising. Can you tell us anything about what you found" Ibiki asked. Orochimaru concentrated hard. "The group's name was the Akatsuki. They wore black cloaks with red clouds but there were others. A group of five. They were powerful, each of them at least kage level. After I saw the group, I got ready to leave but that's when everything went black. The only thing past that is Minato asking me what I remember. I wish I could remember more" Orochimaru said regretfully. Ibiki nodded and decided to leave since the Hokage had told him to go easy on the questions. He still didn't trust the snake sannin but five ANBU and the toad sannin should be enough to keep the man in his place.

Orochimaru turned to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya, what's happened in my absence and where is Sarutobi sensei?" he asked which gained a sad look from Jiraiya. "Orochimaru, sensei is dead. He died sealing the Kyubi inside of Minato's twins" he said and was saddened by the amount of pain that was displayed in his fellow sannin's eyes. He and Tsunade knew that Orochimaru loved Hiruzen as if the man was his own father and vice versa. That fact alone was why it had been so hard for Jiraiya to accept that his best friend had betrayed the village like he did.

Orochimaru was not the one to cry, ninjas weren't supposed to cry anyway, but for once he wept. The man who trained him was gone. The worst part of it was that Orochimaru had caused his sensei whom he saw as a father such pain because he was to weak to resist mere seals placed upon him. Clenching his fists, he silently swore to himself that when he found who put those damned seals on him that they would die in the most painful way possible. After his moment of grief and anger, he looked up at Jiraiya. "So what have I missed?" he asked. Jiraiya smiled a small smile. "Well, you missed out on training two of the greatest ninja in our lifetime. I suppose there's still time to train them seeing as they're just genin so never mind" Jiraiya beamed. Orochimaru blinked. "I'm sorry could you explain?" he asked his friend. Jiraiya nodded. "Minato's kids, the twins, are the children of prophecy I just know it and someday the whole world will too" he said proudly. Orochimaru sighed. "Still chasing prophecies are we Jiraiya?" he asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Jiraiya frowned. "The toads have predicted it, it was given by the Great Toad Sage himself" he said causing Orochimaru to roll his eyes. "Jiraiya, why do you put so much trust in these prophecies and better yet why is it that only the toads are able to give out prophecies? I have never received a prophecy from Manda and last I remember Tsunade has never received one from Katsuyu. Come to think of it, I've never heard of anyone being given a prophecy from their summons so what makes the toads so special?" he asked. Jiraiya's frown deepened. "Orochimaru, I know that it's hard to believe but the prophecy will come to fruition. Two ninja that have received a legendary power will either save or destroy the world" he said crossing his arms. Orochimaru laughed. "And that's your basis. I want you to think of something Jiraiya my friend. What if you're wrong about the twins?" he asked before getting up and leaving with the ANBU to a cell. Jiraiya was left in the room to think about the question given to him.

* * *

(Infirmary)

Naruto lay in bed near Sasuke's bed. Both were conscious and awake. Naruto had been healed by a nurse for his injuries sustained in his fight with Kabuto and was told to rest and let his previous injuries heal. Sasuke had been given medical treatment for the burns he suffered from his fight with Neji and was resting his previous injuries as well. The two were enjoying the quiet between them when the door slammed open. As both sat up quickly, a blur collided with Naruto. There Yakumo was, holding Naruto's head to her chest never noticing the massive amount of blood she was causing her boyfriend to lose through his nose. Watching the spectacle, Sasuke simply said "I'm fine too". Yakumo stopped rocking her Naruto and stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha. "Get over it duck head, I'm not dating you" she said causing a storm cloud to develop over Sasuke while he entered a depressed state. "I don't have a duck head" he said insecurely to himself. When Yakumo removed Naruto's head from her chest, she immediately followed up with a fist to his head. "You idiot. Making your girlfriend worry about your health constantly is not good for a relationship according to the book" she said irritated. Finally regaining his bearings, Naruto looked at her confusedly. "What book?" he asked a little bit scared. Yakumo simply smiled and removed a book from her pouch and handed it to Naruto. " _Mei Terumi's Wonderful Guide to Lasting Relationships_ " Naruto read and sweat dropped. "Yakumo, I'm sorry that I frightened you but you've gotta realize that getting hurt is part of the job" he said calmly making Yakumo look down. "I know but that doesn't mean I like seeing my precious people hurt" she said sadly before being pulled onto Naruto. Naruto brought Yakumo's chin up to look at him. "I know your heart's in the right place, but remember what I told you Yakumo. I'll always come back to you" he said caressing her cheek. Just as the two were about to kiss, someone decided to ruin the moment. "Hey, I'm still here!" he shouted, annoyed by his teammates sickening affection towards each other. It was suffocating.

* * *

(Preliminary Arena)

Itachi stood looking as impassive as ever but on the inside he was smiling wider than he ever had. All three of his genin had moved on to the finals without even really trying solidifying his belief in his team's potential.

Yugito Nii vs. Kiba Inuzaka

Itachi looked at the arena in interest. Only a few of the genin other than his team interested him and she was on that list. The way that she took her battle stance without a word showed that she wasn't interested in getting in a pissing match with her opponent. The Inuzaka however seemed to completely look past his opponent as he stood casually out of stance next to his puppy. Itachi already knew how this battle would end. The Kumo kunoitchi would destroy the dog boy. Deciding to try and save the boy from suffering such an embarrassing loss, he walked over to the boy's sensei Kurenai Yuhi. "Hello Kurenai" he greeted upon arriving which Kurenai quickly greeted back. "So your entire team has made it to the finals, you must be so proud" the woman said with a hint of bitterness. She was still a bit upset at the way Yakumo had beaten her precious student. Itachi nodded. "I am very proud however that isn't why I'm here. I'm here to tell you that you should ask your student to not overlook his opponent" he warned making Kurenai frown. "Itachi, Kiba is my student and I believe that I've trained him well enough to not make the cardinal sin of underestimating an opponent" she said with an irritated tone. Looking in her eyes, Itachi simply sighed and nodded. Walking away, Itachi simply shook his head. 'I tried' he thought to himself.

When Hayate announced the beginning of the match, Kiba stood there with a smirk. "You smell like a cat. Normally, I'd beat the shit out of someone for that but I'll make an exception for you cutie" he said with a wink. His flirtatious mood did't last long though as the girl disappeared from her spot and reappeared in front of Kiba's partner Akamaru. With a strong roundhouse kick, the puppy was sent rolling roughly across the ground. Resuming her stance and turning her attention back to Kiba, Yugito smirked. "You were saying dog boy?" she asked. Kiba growled in anger and launched at her. Unable to do his fang techniques without Akamaru, he settled for punching wildly at his opponent who easily dodged all of his strikes before going on the offensive herself. Starting with a punch to the shoulder that made Kiba's arm go numb, she followed up with a series of punches to his chest and finished with a kick to the chin knocking him away. Walking forwards to continue her assault, she readied herself when Kiba began to rise. Growling, the boy got on all fours and an increase in chakra exertion was detected by Yugito.

Kiba growled while giving Yugito a murderous look. "Fine bitch, you wanna real fight then let's g-" Kiba never finished his sentence as he was launched upwards by a kick to the face from Yugito. "You talk too much" the blonde said while the boy was still in mid air. When he landed, Hayate started to walk over and declare the match until Kiba began to get up again. "You think I'll go down that easy bitch?" he growled with a little bit of blood leaking from his mouth. Yugito sighed. "The dumb ones never do" she said ready to attack again. Just as she was about to rush Kiba, Akamaru in the form of a white blur jumped up and bit down hard on Yugito's shoulder. "Atta boy Akamaru" Kiba shouted while Akamaru held on for dear life. Yugito, tired of dealing with these idiots, reached around and grabbed the scruff of the white dog. Yanking him off her shoulder, which hurt badly and caused the wound to start bleeding profusely, she slammed the dog onto the ground and stomped. She stomped again, and again, and again. She stopped when she noticed that one more stomp would have ended the puppy's life. He was a tough dog that was for sure as most dogs would have either passed out or died already. But despite how tough he was, now he lay on the ground whimpering. Punishment for daring to make her look foolish.

The Inuzaka fell to his knees seeing the punishment that his partner and best friend had just endured. When the blonde kunoitchi stopped her assault on Akamaru she stared directly at him. The girl's eyes seemed so cold and full of rage. "Your mutt is strong. You truly don't deserve him. If you weren't so stupid and excited at the fact that your pathetic partner was biting me, you would have realized that it was a perfect moment to attack me seeing as I was caught off guard. You could have given me a true challenge but instead you proved just how pathetic you are. You don't deserve to be a shinobi if you're both stupid and selfish enough to let your comrade take on a more powerful enemy alone" she said in disgust. Pulling out a kunai, she held it to the dog's throat. "One slice, that's all it will take. One slice and your mutt dies unless you say the magic words dog boy" she said coldly. Kiba teared up and quickly shouted "Proctor, I forfeit" and the match was over. The medical crew came in and took all three contestants to the infirmary.

Kurenai clenched the bars of the stands hard. Another one of her genin hurt much worse than they deserved. She found the actions of Yakumo and Yugito to be utterly deplorable but knew that other jounin may not see it the same way. Hinata watched in concern as her teammates were taken to the infirmary and muttered a silent prayer for them to be safe. Shino held no reaction to the fight he had just seen. Itachi stood in his spot without emotion. He tried to tell Kurenai to warn her student but the woman refused. Figuring that it couldn't be helped, Itachi along with everyone else in the room turned their attention to the electronic board to see who was next.

* * *

(With Narumi and Menma)

Narumi and Menma were both trying to master the rasenshuriken at training ground 7. A move much stronger than the rasengan with enough power to rid the world of their brother was a gift from Kami for the two. Or gift from Jiraiya to be specific. While the two practiced, they never felt the chakra of their mother who had been looking for her children in order to train them.

"What are you two doing?!" Kushina shouted causing the twins' concentration to dissipate and turn to face their mother. "We're training mom" spoke Menma in a sarcastic tone. Kushina walked closer. "And what pray tell were you training in?" she asked dangerously. Menma refused to back down. "We're learning the rasenshuriken" the boy said with a smirk. Kushina was shocked. How would her children have gotten the instructions on one of her husband's most powerful jutsu. "And just how did you come across the instructions for it?" she asked not moving from her spot. "Jiraiya sensei taught us" spoke Narumi. "In fact he seems to be the only one who cares about us these days anyway" she continued causing Kushina to turn her attention to her only daughter. "Why do you keep giving that failure, that outcast, all of your attention. What about us?" Narumi asked. Kushina sighed. "Narumi, Menma, I love you just as I love Naruto. You three are each my children and I love each of you equally. If it seems that I've shown more attention to Naruto or been easier on him then I'm sorry, but he went his whole life without anyone. Both of you have been given everything you've asked for yet Naruto was given nothing. Things are fragile right now but someday we are going to be a complete family and to do that I need to make sure Naruto knows that we love him" she said softly.

Kushina's soft side ended at what Menma said next. "I want Naruto to die and if I have to do it myself then so be it. He'll never be a part of the family if I can help it" he said viciously and Narumi nodded in agreement. Kushina looked at her children in horror. What had they become? When and why did they become these hateful children. Knowing what she had to do, she overcame her horror and shock. "Both of you go home now. We will have words later tonight" she said coldly before disappearing in a shunshin. When she left, Menma looked at Narumi. "Do you think I said too much?" he asked to which Narumi shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Soon we'll be out of the village learning how to kill Naruto" she said with a smile that was eventually mirrored by Menma.

* * *

(Preliminary Arena)

Itachi stood in the middle of the arena. All the matches had finished. Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka had knocked each other out, Temari of Suna had beaten Tenten by using her wind ninjutsu to destroy the kunoitchi, Kankuro of Suna had beaten Choji Akamichi when his puppet was able to land a hit to the genin's head knocking him out, Omoi of Kumo beat Shino Aburame when the bug nin forfeited for reasons unknown, the two teammates of Kurotsuchi from Iwa knocked each other out for their match, and Kabuto's teammates forfeited for unknown reasons as well. Since Sakura's teammates had still been recovering in the infirmary and weren't able to compete in the prelims, the last match was that of Rock Lee vs. Gaara of Suna. It was a close fight, especially when Lee began to open the gates as a trump card, but Gaara was too much as he eventually was able to heavily wound the boy after he was unable to keep using the power of the gates. Now everyone stood in the center of the arena looking at the electronic board as it would reveal the match ups for the final round of the chunin exams. When the board sounded, everyone looked up.

Match 1: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze vs. Kurotsuchi

Match 2: Yakumo Kurama vs. Sasuke Uchiha

Match 3: Yugito Nii vs. Gaara

Match 4: Temari vs. Karui

Match 5: Kankuro vs. Omoi

After everyone had their opponent, they began to leave.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato flashed to his office. He had been feeling a tug from the seal inside his office near the end of the prelims but didn't want to leave so suddenly. Looking around, he was surprised to see a sad looking Kushina lying on the sofa in the office. Walking towards his wife, he knelt down to meet her eyes. "Kushina, what's wrong?" he asked putting a hand on her shoulder. Kushina's eyes were red and puffy obviously from crying which was surprising as she was known as one of the toughest women in Konoha. Sitting up, she took Minato's hand in her own. "Minato, we need to talk about Menma and Narumi. I want you to suspend their ninja licenses indefinitely" she said shocking her husband. "They told me today that they wanted Naruto dead even if they had to do it" she said as tears began to flow from her eyes. Minato was shocked. He knew that Menma and Narumi didn't have a good opinion of their brother but this was unbelievable. "Minato, Jiraiya's trying to teach them the rasenshuriken. I'm so scared Minato, what's happening to our family?" she cried. Minato just held her and listened. "I'm scared for Naruto as well. What if Menma and Narumi actually try to kill him. They're jinchuriki Minato and we both know what jinchuriki can do" she said quietly. Minato held his wife for a while longer until she fell asleep. Carefully removing his wife from him, he summoned a shadow clone to take her home.

When the shadow clone left, Minato got to work by first suspending his children's licenses. Next came something that had been on his mind for some time now but he had never had a reason to act on it until now. Going through his desk, he eventually found what he was looking for. An heir replacement form. From what Minato had seen recently, Menma and Narumi were getting worse and worse. He had tried getting through to them. Kushina had tried. Kakashi had tried. Nothing worked and as far as Minato was concerned the two didn't deserve to be an heir and heiress. Naruto on the other hand had shown patience, forgiveness, intelligence, empathy, all good qualities for a clan leader. Once the form was finished, he decided to get some more work done. After about two hours, Minato flashed home to get his wife and go to visit their son.

* * *

(Infirmary)

Naruto was sitting in bed talking to Yakumo. Not long ago, Itachi had come to pick up Sasuke to prepare for the finals. Now, Naruto was having a nice conversation with his girlfriend when a red headed missile sped into the room and enveloped the boy in a hug. "Oh my poor baby, do your injuries hurt? Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything? Why haven't you come to see me?" asked Kushina in rapid succession. Minato, who arrived a few moments after his wife watched the scene in amusement. Naruto detached his mother's arms causing the red head to pout. "I'm fine mom just a little sore" he said causing Kushina to smile wide. Naruto turned his attention to his father. "Hey dad" he greeted in which Minato chuckled in response. "Hey son. Impressive performance" he said with a look of pride on his face. Naruto lightly blushed before turning serious. "Dad, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind training me for the finals" Naruto asked avoiding making eye contact with his father. If he had, then he would have seen the stars in Minato's eyes and giant smile on his face. "Of course I will. I was actually going to offer you some training, some father son bonding" he said with a smile that was matched by a smile from Naruto. Their smiles turned into frowns however when they noticed what was going on a few feet away from them.

Kushina and Yakumo were staring daggers at each other with sparks of electricity forming between the two. "Naruto who is this girl?" Kushina asked dangerously. Before Naruto could answer, Yakumo did. "I'm Naruto's girlfriend" she said without giving in. The two men in the room started to get nervous. "Is that so?" Kushina asked before smiling an evil smile. "I have an idea. Since your father will be training you, I'll train this little girl for the finals" she said with a smirk that made Yakumo go red with anger. "Kushina, I don't think that's a good idea" Minato said, but Yakumo stood and answered "I accept". Both women continued their mental war, neither backing down. Both men put their faces in their hands. 'This is gonna be a long month' both men thought.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone hope you liked the new chapter! I'm so grateful for the support this story has received and I hope that I continue to entertain. Also LEAVE A REVIEW! It definitely helps the writing process. Anyway, next up is the chunin exams finals.


	15. Naruto vs Kurotsuchi, Konoha vs Iwa

**IMPORTANT:** I want to apologize for not updating in so long. Classes just started up again and so school has me kinda tied up and then I had to rewrite this chapter four times to get it going in a way I felt comfortable. Anyway, I want you all to know I AM NOT giving up on this story. I really want to see it through it will just take some time due to classes etc. Also I'm sorry to disappoint but I decided not to really focus on the month of training. I will insert the basic stuff that went down during the month but next chapter I will use flashbacks with Kushina and Itachi on how they trained Yakumo and Sasuke. Hope you enjoy.

AnimeKing211: Yeah the twins want to bring Naruto down but they also want the world to worship them as if they are gods. Appreciate the review.

UnsanMusho: At this point Kushina is trying to avoid the obvious that Menma and Narumi are pretty much sold in becoming evil. Thanks for the review.

PinkiePieParty122894: I think I have your username completely memorized by now. I really appreciate the continued support and it really helps to know that you are enjoying the story. I hope that it continues to be enjoyable.

Aclux: I'll be honest I had to read your comment a couple of times over because at first I thought you were hoping I got kicked in the jewels but then realized that you were talking about Jiraiya. As for putting the twins down, unfortunately they become an actual threat later on so they don't die. Yet. Thanks for reviewing.

Natzo: You brought up a lot of questions about Minato that I hadn't even considered and honestly it might affect how I handle the twins' departure. The twins haven't been influenced by the Kyuubi, it's mainly just two brats with giant egos because of years of being spoiled. Now everything is changing and they aren't getting as much attention. They are just evil. Hope you are liking it and thanks for the comment.

Animaman: Sorry about this but I decided not to go into Naruto's month of training very much but there is a family conversation in the beginning of the chapter. Naruto will eventually learn more sword techniques as he still has to master the techniques from the past swordsmen. Naruto will meet Orochimaru in a calm setting later on but he didn't help Naruto in preparation for the exam. Appreciate the support.

ratedn777: I'm sorry to say that they do leave. At the moment Naruto is so much stronger than the twins that they really don't factor into the story except for being whiny little kids who want their brother dead but can't do anything. I want them to be an actual threat so they have to leave if they want the world to worship them again. Thanks for the review.

raw666: Not sure whether you meant what's happening in the story or the story itself for going well or poorly but I hope you like this chapter. Thank you for the review. I'm glad that it's been entertaining to you so far.

777torn777: The kages are still way ahead of the other genin. Naruto at the moment could only beat Itachi at night when the moon is out but that's because his power skyrockets at that point. I'm glad you liked the last chapter.

sd74: I haven't decided on how Naruto and Levios combined will look like but those are great ideas and it's most likely the direction I'll go in. As for the twins being pawns, you have no idea. Konan will help out Naruto and Sera isn't the 10 tailed jinchuriki but someone in the story is and you'll find out who soon. Thanks for the review I appreciate it.

MrSunshine744: I'm glad you liked last chapter and I hope that you like this one as well. Unfortunately you won't get to see the dram that unfolded until next chapter sorry. But there will be continued drama even after the chunin exams so there won't be a shortage.

Banjo the Fox: Glad you liked the chapter hopefully it will continue to entertain.

Sharkboybeast: Yeah early on I really kind of rushed it and it still is fast paced in my opinion but I think I've gotten it down to an acceptable speed or at least I hope.

Gammagyro: Later on Yakumo will get more territorial over Naruto sometimes in a fun way sometimes in a "I will destroy you" way. The heart attacks and other physical injuries due to genjutsu will appear a little later on and be emphasized in the Kiri arc that occurs soon. Yakumo will also eventually see Kushina as a mother and due to certain events that occur with the twins, Kushina will see her as a daughter almost. Thanks for the support and the ideas.

zeldawolffang: It's just how I wrote it. This is only my second story that I've written ever so I'm not the best at formatting. Glad you like the story though.

* * *

(Chunin Exam Finals Arena)

Minato sat in the kage box next to his wife. Also seated in the box was Kumo's Raikage A, Iwa's Tsuchikage Onoki, Suna's Kazekage Rasa, and Killer Bee the jinchuriki of the eight tails from Kumo. Minato sat reminiscing about the past month while the audience continued to file in. One memory in particular continuously resurfaced into his thoughts.

(Flashback)

Minato stood with his wife in the living room of their home. Also in the room were Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and of course Narumi and Menma. Minato decided to speak first. "Ever since the two of you became ninja, your mother and Kakashi have witnessed you both become increasingly unstable. Willing to leave a comrade behind, proud of putting a teammate in the hospital, saying that you want your own brother dead! When you put those headbands on, when you wear that symbol, you represent all of the greatest heroes of Konoha to do so. Instead of finding strength through your team and fighting to protect, you have decided to fight for yourselves and have developed some kind of superiority complex that I can't explain. You both have completely disregarded the Will of Fire. As Hokage I cannot allow this in my ninja corps, so I have suspended your ninja licenses indefinitely" he said causing Menma, Narumi, and Jiraiya to stand up in anger.

"WHAT!" shouted the twins. "Minato you can't do this, especially to your own children" Jiraiya said. Kushina looked at Jiraiya in anger while Tsunade and Kakashi stayed silent letting everything play out. Minato just looked at his sensei in disappointment. "I am the Hokage Jiraiya, what I say goes" Minato said before crossing his arms. "I wonder, would you defend Naruto if I threatened to take his license away?" he asked which silenced Jiraiya. "Kushina and I have given Menma and Narumi everything that they ever asked for while completely neglecting our oldest child. I have tried, Kushina has tried, and Kakashi has tried to get through to them but they refuse to change their ways" he said turning to look at his children who were red with fury. "Both of you have become something that I don't even recognize. I am truly sorry for wherever I went wrong with you two" he said with a disappointed and sad look.

"So what now father? Are you just gonna spend all your time with Naruto and ignore us because he's the golden child?" Narumi asked venomously. The moment she finished her question, a cold feeling spread over the room. "How dare you? Naruto suffered neglect from us for practically his entire life. He should hate us and rightfully so, but he doesn't. He forgave us when we didn't deserve his forgiveness. I have loved you and I will always love you but you have brought this upon yourselves. Naruto has waited his entire life for someone to pay attention to him so whether you like it or not you will have to share the spotlight from now on. He's your brother for Kami's sake. You are supposed to love him and stick by him no matter what but instead you wish for his death. The both of you really need to think about how good you've had it and how bad Naruto has had it" Kushina said with tears in her eyes. Jiraiya after listening to Minato and Kushina decided to re-insert himself into the conversation. "Minato, Kushina, while trying to make up for your past mistakes is admirable, it doesn't make it okay to just ignore your other children" he said but immediately regretted it as killer intent flooded the room directed solely at the toad sannin. "Where was this concern for our children's well being when Naruto was behind?" Minato asked. "Did you forget that Menma and Narumi are not your only godchildren?" he asked again. "Minato you and I both know that these two are special. Naruto just never showed any potential" he said hoping for his student to see reason.

"Were you not the same Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked breaking her previous silence. "You were the dead last of our year, everyone said that you would never become a great ninja, yet here you are a sannin" she said. Her point shut Jiraiya up.

"I have one last announcement. I have officially removed the two of you as heir and heiress. The two of you have not shown the qualities needed to lead this clan and therefore will not inherit the position" he said expecting shouts of outrage from his children but was surprised to receive none of it. Instead both were glaring holes into the ground. "May we leave now Lord Hokage?" Menma asked through gritted teeth. Minato allowed it and the two walked back to Menma's room.

After the two had left, Jiraiya immediately got up to go comfort his godchildren but was stopped by Minato. "Jiraiya, I've been told that you passed the instructions of the rasenshuriken onto Menma and Narumi without my approval. Due to this among other instances, Kushina and I believe that you are providing a negative influence for the two therefore you will not be allowed to interact with them until both Kushina and I deem it appropriate" Minato said without emotion. Jiraiya was shocked beyond belief. "Minato I" Minato raised his hand to stop him. "It's Lord Hokage to you from now on and the matter is decided and closed, please leave" he said. Jiraiya didn't move for a few minutes but eventually left slowly. It had been over a decade since Jiraiya had cried tears of sadness but tonight caused the dam to finally break as the man wandered Konoha feeling dead inside.

(End Flashback)

It wasn't easy to cut off ties from his beloved sensei like that but his kids were getting worse and changes needed to be made. It broke Minato's heart to do it but he couldn't have his teacher stoking Menma and Narumi's ego anymore while continuing to put down Naruto. Speaking of Naruto, the month of training had yielded incredible results in Minato's mind. His son had become faster, smarter, and stronger. There was also the fact that he had mastered the move Minato made so long ago in a way he never thought possible. Looking down at the arena, it seemed that the audience had finished filing in so the Fourth Hokage stood up to address the crowd.

"Welcome to all who have come to view these extraordinary genin. To make it this far in the chunin exams is no small feat and as such each of these potential chunin deserves recognition. Today each of them will fight and display whether or not they deserve the rank of chunin. The deciding factor in who becomes a chunin is not the winner or loser, but how you win or lose" Minato said before turning his attention solely to the contestants. "All of you could become chunin today, or none of you could. It will all depend on what you show us in your match. I wish each of you good luck" he said before turning his attention back to the crowd. "Let the final round of the chunin exams begin" he announced gaining a roar of applause from the crowd.

When Minato finished his speech, he sat back down next to his wife. The first to speak in the kage box was Onoki. "Well boy, you certainly know how to work a crowd. You also look quite confident" he stated to Minato who did have a proud smile on his face as his son and Kurotsuchi took their places on the battlefield. "Well Onoki, my son has given me very strong reasons to be confident" he said with a large smile which gained a proud smile from Kushina as well. Onoki snorted at that, A merely rolled his eyes, and Rasa remained silent.

"Well I doubt that you will be smiling for much longer, after all your son is facing my granddaughter. Kurotsuchi is the best kunoitchi that Iwa has produced in generations and I fully expect her to win the exams" he said with a smirk. Next to Onoki, A smiled. "I'm afraid both of you are wrong in your assumptions for it will be Yugito who wins" he said. All of the kages then turned to Rasa expecting him to boast about his son Gaara but the man remained silent.

"What's the matter Rasa, not quite sure of your genin?" A asked with a smile. Rasa simply shook his covered head. "I already know that Gaara will win these exams so there is no need for me to emphasize the fact but for now shouldn't our attention be on the two contestants?" he asked which made each of the other kages sweat drop and quickly turn to the match that had just begun.

Iwa vs. Konoha.

Naruto vs. Kurotsuchi.

(On the battlefield)

Naruto stood across from Kurotsuchi, both eyeing one another and looking for weak points. "So I take it that you've got a grudge against my father like every other Iwa ninja?" Naruto asked after seeing the murderous look that his opponent was giving him. Kurotsuchi's frown turned into a scowl. "Your father massacred my village's ninja without a second thought and shamed our village. That piece of trash up there tore apart hundreds of families. Scum like him don't deserve to live. One day he will pay for his sins but for now, I'll make the Yellow Flash of Konoha suffer by having to watch his son die in front of his very eyes" she said which gained nods of agreement from the Iwa audience members but a shake of the head from Onoki. Naruto clenched his fists at the repeated insults aimed towards his father. "It was war! Did you expect him to simply let your ninja take over our village? How many Konoha ninja did Iwa kill? How many families did Iwa destroy? Last I checked it was Iwa that started the war in the first place! You say he's scum for killing his enemies in battle but if you had the same opportunity, wouldn't you do the same?" he asked angrily.

Kurotsuchi didn't answer but her scowl deepened. "The Konoha ninja that you killed had said that you use a sword, where is it if I may ask?" she asked now wearing a confident smirk. Naruto narrowed his eyes at Kurotsuchi, something in her had changed and he didn't like it. "It's always close by, but I doubt you will get to see it" he responded to which Kurotsuchi chuckled. Raising her thumb to her mouth, she bit down drawing blood and spread it across her left arm. A poof of smoke resulted and when the smoke cleared, a large black and silver war hammer stood next to her. It was quite simple in design but the size of it was easily as big as Kurotsuchi herself. "Do you know what this is?" the Iwa genin asked Naruto who didn't respond but could feel the power emanating from the weapon. "This is the Hammer of the First Tsuchikage. It is said that with the power given to him from this weapon, he was able to form the entire village of Iwa. Whoever wields this weapon is given complete control of the element of earth, so do you still think that you don't need a weapon?" she asked with a dark smile.

Naruto stared at the weapon in awe. He could tell that this hammer had enough power to match his sword but he still wanted to try without his weapon. Before he could gather any more thoughts, Kurotsuchi raised the hammer overhead effortlessly and slammed it onto the ground. The result was a multitude of debris spread across the battlefield. The only reason that none of the debris hit the audience was because of the barrier seals that kept the crowd safe from damage. Just as Naruto had recovered from dodging large pieces of debris that had come flying at him, he noticed Kurotsuchi raising her hammer again. This time however, she didn't slam it onto the ground. Instead she pushed chakra into the hammer which gave off a large pulse of chakra that flowed through the battlefield. Before Naruto could question what the pulse did, two large piles of debris nearby began to move and take shape. When the debris had finished its transformation, the resulting appearance was a golem at least three times the size of Naruto made completely out of rock. The golem stood in front of Kurotsuchi who was now doing single handed handsigns. Naruto simply watched his opponent, waiting on her to finish her move.

When Kurotsuchi finished her handsigns, the area of ground she was standing on rose twelve feet in the air giving her an overseer view of her opponent. "Well Namikaze, for now your opponent will be my earth golem. Try not to let it kill you. I want that pleasure to myself" she said with a smile before letting her hammer stand by her on the elevated ground. After her comment the golem rushed at Naruto who immediately jumped back to avoid the creature. Unfortunately for Naruto, he underestimated how fast the golem actually was and suffered a heavy punch to the chest in midair that sent him flying into the wall.

Getting out of the indent of the wall, Naruto quickly started doing handsigns as the golem began walking to his location. Just as he was about to finish the handsigns, he felt his battle instincts alert him and jumped to the side barely avoiding a large ball of lava that hit the area he had been standing. Looking up at Kurotsuchi who was wiping lava residue from her mouth with a smile, he now knew for certain that she was trying to kill him. In the short moment that he spent observing Kurotsuchi, he neglected the threat of the earth golem who had now reached him. Barely having enough time to get his arms up and minimize the damage, he was sent flying across the battlefield. Slowly getting up off the ground, he groaned at the pain in his chest and arms.

"I'm pretty disappointed. I mean I knew that you were gonna die, but I expected you to put up at least some kind of fight. Let me ask this, did you train yourself? Because if you had a teacher, then they obviously didn't do that great of a job if this is the result" Kurotsuchi said mockingly. Naruto however took her words with anger. This girl thought that he was beaten just because her minion had done some damage to him. Ignorance is bliss was the only phrase that Naruto could think of as he looked up at Kurotsuchi. Standing tall, he turned his attention to the golem that was approaching him. Clenching his fists, he began to run towards his new target. A fire had been lit inside of the Konoha genin. This girl wanted a fight, then he would give her one. As he sped towards the golem, sparks of lightning began to form around his right fist.

Kurotsuchi could see a change in Naruto's demeanor from her earth column and frowned. For some reason, the boy seemed confident instead of broken which confused her. As she watched the blond rush towards her golem, she began to fire large amounts of lava at her opponent but was unable to hit him. Just as she was ready to fire another shot of lava, a burst of chakra nearly pushed her off her earthen pedestal. When she righted herself, she looked on at Naruto who was now in midair with a multitude of lightning sparks surrounding his fist.

Now in midair, Naruto cocked his fist back. When he reached high enough, he swung his fist forcing his chakra into his fist making the lightning grow more wild and landed the hit on the golem's head. Upon his fist meeting the giant rock, his fist appeared to do nothing but stick to the surface. It only took a second for all of the lightning chakra in his fist to be released and forced onto the golem creating multiple cracks on the head. As Naruto landed back onto the ground, the cracks started to grow larger as they spread throughout the golem's body. Only after the cracks had spread over the entirety of the golem did the full effect take place. The stone minion shattered leaving nothing behind but the pebbles left over from it's body. Looking up at Kurotsuchi again, he watched her jump with her hammer towards him with the intent to kill. Stretching out his arm, he summoned his sword and prepared for impact. Upon Kurotsuchi landing hammer first which was blocked by Naruto's sword, the blonde Konoha ninja could feel the impact of his opponent's mighty weapon. Meanwhile the Iwa kunoitchi's eyes widened. Her hammer was supposed to be one of the strongest weapons in existence, there was no way that the blonde should be standing much less holding her back yet here he was.

Sensing his opponent's hesitation, Naruto gripped his sword tightly and slid the blade knocking her back. Now the fight was on his terms, a fact that pleased the blonde immeasurably. "Where is your confidence that you had earlier? You asked me to put up a fight and assumed me to be giving it my all. What I've shown you up until now has been nothing short of pity. Now allow me to give you a glimpse of my abilities" Naruto said before dashing at his opponent. The girl barely had enough time to raise her hammer to block his sword. When the weapons made impact, Kurotsuchi was sent flying backwards while Naruto stood with an unimpressed look on his face. The tides of the battle had changed. Noticing that the kunoitchi was rising, he prepared to rush her again but stopped as the ground began to tremor. Jumping quickly, he was able to avoid a spike made of rock that rose from the ground. While in the air, he noticed many other pointed rock formations that began rising from the ground. When Naruto landed, it became apparent to him that the rocks were no longer targeting him to impale him. Instead, they seemed to be creating some sort of barrier around him which was quickly rising.

Even though it might not have been the most logical thing to do, Naruto once again let his enemy make her move. The rising rocks began to not only grow in height but were now forming together into what seemed to be almost a rock dome around him. After the earth stopped growing, Kurotsuchi appeared at the top of the dome standing at the medium sized opening. The dome that surrounded him was actually more like a tube as it was quite narrow. The girl was smiling with an evil grin. "I told you Namikaze that you would die today. The strength of your sword is impressive but that's the only positive thing I can say about your performance. This truly has been a disappointing experience. Farewell Naruto Namikaze" she said before placing her hammer on the roof of the dome next to her. Putting both of her hands on the earthen roof, the rocks and ground came together around her hands. Standing up Kurotsuchi formed a ball of earth in her hands. After the ball was formed, she slowly spewed lava from her mouth into the earthen ball. Before long, the ball began to grow in size until it was barely smaller than the moderate hole in the roof of the dome.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. This was her plan all along. She planned to trap him and force him into a helpless position. Her current plan involved her sending the large lava ball down into the dome while Naruto wouldn't be able to break out in time. She was going to burn him alive. Thinking quickly on his feet, he realized that there was one trick he had not revealed yet. He had created it during his training with his father and it was heavily experimental as it had a better chance of blowing him up than working correctly but there was no time like the present. He dropped his sword which vanished into thin air. With his left hand, he began to form one of his father's most famous jutsu, the rasengan. When the ball was finished forming, the difficult part began. It was time to debut his elemental rasengan.

(Kage Box)

Minato and Kushina looked on worryingly at the predicament that their son was in. Everyone in the audience could see the large ball of lava that Kurotsuchi now held but no one could see Naruto who was evidently trapped in the earth dome that the Iwa genin had created. Onoki was silent. While the old man was proud of how strong his granddaughter had become, he couldn't help but feel ashamed that he let his former hate of Minato Namikaze affect her so much. Now here she was about to kill the man's son who he was obviously proud of in front of an entire arena of people. Tensions would become higher than ever between Konoha and Iwa but hopefully Minato would recognize that these were the risks accepted by every competing genin in these exams. A and Bee simply watched on in interest waiting on Kurotsuchi to end the match. Rasa continued to watch the match with a blank look on his face, not that anyone could see it.

(Contestant's Box)

Yakumo watched the match with tears beginning to form in her eyes as she clutched her heart. Her first friend, her first love, was trapped like an animal and in a potentially life ending situation. She shook her head. She wouldn't give up hope. After all, _Mei Terumi's Wonderful Guide to Lasting_ _Relationships_ said that trust was the most important part of a relationship.

Sasuke looked at the seemingly hopeless scene but refused to believe that Naruto would lose. His friend was too powerful to be brought down by a genin. Naruto was so far ahead of everyone else that it didn't seem possible for him not to come out of this on top.

(Itachi)

Itachi was frowning. In all honesty, he hadn't liked how his student had gone about this match. Allowing his opponent time to strategize and make her ideal moves, it was a foolish way to fight and fools were killed early on in their profession. The Uchiha crossed his arms in thought. He needed to think of a good punishment for his student after he won this match.

(Naruto and Kurotsuchi)

Kurotsuchi had finally finished creating her earth and lava sphere which she held in her hands. Using her own chakra and the rock still covering her hands, she held the ball and prepared to launch it into the dome and end Naruto. With this jutsu she would gain revenge on Minato Namikaze and make her village proud. "I hope that you've made peace with Kami Namikaze for it's your turn to meet him. Imperial Lava Bomb" she shouted launching the molten rock ball into the hole to kill the son of Iwa's greatest enemy.

Just as Kurotsuchi had finished her farewell speech, Naruto finished his own customized rasengan. Over the past month, he had grown infatuated with the idea of the rasengan. He had mastered his father's incomplete version in two days but wanted to finish what his father had yet to. In Naruto's mind it was a jutsu of incredible potential. Throughout the month of training, he had finally found out the secret to adding an element to his father's prized jutsu. His trick was to make the chakra ball and form it into a container of sorts. After the empty container of chakra was created, the difficult part of adding elemental chakra came next. It had been simple enough to add one element to the rasengan for Naruto, but it still felt like it's full potential wasn't being maximized so he experimented further. In his experimentation, Naruto had discovered a way to form elements that normally would be only available by way of kekai genkai and incorporate them into the rasengan. By adding two or more types of elemental chakra into the hollow container of chakra, he forced the elemental chakra to mix and create something new. By doing this he was able to create his greatest ninjutsu move in his arsenal. The Tempest Rasengan. Wind and lightning formed together as one increasing the power of a rasengan ten fold.

With determination in his eyes Naruto prepared for the ball of lava. When it came close enough, he swung his arm slamming his rasengan into the lava sphere. "TEMPEST RASENGAN" he shouted pushing all of his chakra into his arm and driving the molten rock back. The heat eminating from Kurotsuchi's jutsu burned his skin, but he continued to push. Just as it seemed that the ball would overcome Naruto, the tempest rasengan exploded outwards completely evaporating the lava ball, blowing the top half of the earth dome/tube off, and sending Kurotsuchi flying upwards.

After the girl reached the peak of her flight, she fell quickly to what would have been her death had Naruto not caught her just before hitting the ground. Both genin now lay on the ground, one panting and the other twitching from leftover lightning. Slowly getting up, Naruto looked down at his opponent. "You were a good fight. Maybe one day we can do this again and leave grudges at the door. It was fun Kurotsuchi" Naruto said with a small smile before the proctor came over and announced the winner.

"WINNER IS NARUTO UZUMAKI NAMIKAZE" the jounin shouted and the arena erupted in cheers and applause.

(Kage Box)

Kushina stood up and cheered loudly for her son's victory while Minato sat back with a smile. No words could describe how proud he was of his son. To have come so far after going through most of his life without anyone willing to help him. Now here he was showing himself to be more than worthy of chunin rank. There was also the fact that Naruto had mastered the rasengan, something that he had yet to do. He knew that it was Naruto's completed rasengan that won the match even if no one saw it. Watching his son walk back to the contestant's box, he smiled even wider.

Onoki was speechless. Just a moment ago he was thinking of ways to smooth over the death of Naruto at the hands of his granddaughter and in an instant the match did a complete 180. He didn't know what had happened but looking at Minato's face, he could tell the blonde hokage knew. Onoki wanted to be mad but the look of pride on Minato's face reminded him of his own when his own son first became a chunin. The boy had proven that he had what it took to be a chunin. Even in the face of certain death, he never panicked. Instead he endured and prevailed which was the very definition of a shinobi. Onoki sighed. Just what he needed, another legendary Namikaze.

(Itachi)

Itachi smirked at his student's victory. There was never a doubt in his mind that Naruto would win his match. He was still going to punish his student for his lack of logic but that could wait. For now he would be happy for his student and prepare to witness his other two genin's match.

(Contestant's Box)

Upon reaching the contestant's box, Naruto was immediately tackled by his ever concerned girlfriend.

"You idiot! You had me so worried! What the hell were you thinking?" Yakumo said going red in the face. Naruto responded to her question with a passionate kiss. When the kiss was finished, Yakumo was still red faced, only now it was red from blush instead of anger. Sasuke just stood to the side amused at the scene. "You had us worried Naruto" Sasuke said with a smirk. Naruto looked at his teammate with a similar smirk. "Never a doubt" he said to which Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah tell that to your girlfriend over there" he pointed while Yakumo simply stuck her tongue out at him. With his arm around Yakumo, Naruto smiled. This moment right here with two of his most precious people was perfect to him. Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and that end came when the next match was announced.

"MATCH 2 YAKUMO KURAMA vs SASUKE UCHIHA"

* * *

(Near Konoha)

Konan was almost there. Her sister's energy had led her in the direction of Konoha. Why her sister was in Konoha she had no idea, but it didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was making it to her sister and preparing for the inevitable battle to protect the world as they know it.

* * *

Once again I want to apologize for the lack of updates but classes have started up again so I'm kinda tied up with school and all. Anyway I hope you liked this chapter and remember to review!


	16. Match 2 Genjutsu vs the Sharingan

UnsanMusho: I'm glad that you liked the Naruto Kurotsuchi battle. As for Jiraiya, I insert him pretty early this chapter and plan to build upon what happens later on. Thanks for the review.

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm happy that you keep enjoying it and hope that you like this chapter as well.

Animaman: I know that I never really wrote it in, but the twins are at home and the sannin aren't at the chunin exams. As for the hiraishin, I plan on him learning it later on but I haven't decided on chakra chains. I don't want to make Jiraiya into a petty antagonist and actually want him to eventually become a respectable protagonist even though he will always believe that there is good in the twins. About the twins and them fighting Naruto, because of yours and others' comments about having them fight, I've decided that they will have an encounter during the invasion. I don't want to spoil too much about it though. Thanks for the ideas.

Guest 1: I don't know how to refer to a guest comment by name so I will just say guest 1 for now. I guess the reason for Jiraiya always being against Naruto is because Jiraiya hands out the prophecies which typically lead to the neglect of Naruto. I think it's determined the moment he gives the prophecy just due to his need to make the prophecy about Naruto's siblings come true and his need for peace in the ninja world.

King Popoto: Sorry that you didn't like it I guess. I get your frustration about how fast everything happened so I'm sorry that it offended you so much and hope that you find a story that meets your expectations.

* * *

(Bar in Konoha)

Jiraiya sat in the bar nursing his third bottle of sake. It had become a regular occurrence ever since he was banned from his godchildren. How had it come to this? All he ever wanted was to see the world at peace. Here he was with the opportunity to achieve his lifelong goal and the key had now been taken away from his grasp. Sure he felt a small feeling of guilt for having completely neglected Naruto, but the twins needed all the training that they could get. It came down to saving the entire world or fulfilling the need for attention for just another child. The ends justified the means, didn't it?

The toad sannin hardly noticed when someone took the seat next to him. He knew who it was but frankly wasn't in a talking mood despite his wanting of her attention for years.

"You know it's kind of ironic that I'm having to come and get you out of a bar" Tsunade said with a small smile. Jiraiya snorted at that. "I was never able to get you out of a bar. You either drank the place out of alcohol or passed out and slept on the floor" Jiraiya said taking another sip of sake. "My entire life, all I've ever wanted to see is the world at peace. It wasn't until we lost to Hanzo that I knew that I would not be able to unite the elemental nations but perhaps I could find someone else who could. When I met Minato, I saw a boy with ambition, a boy with potential. I watched my pupil rise to become one of the village's greatest legends and knew in my heart that he would be the one to unite us all. Imagine my surprise when the toads told me it wasn't him. I argued for years with the Great Toad Sage but I eventually accepted that it wasn't him. Then I heard about Kushina's pregnancy. A child born of my prodigy and a powerful Uzumaki had to be the one" he said taking another sip of his sake while Tsunade just listened on in silence.

Jiraiya sighed before continuing with his story. "When the triplets were born, I was so happy. The moment I saw those three, I loved them as if they were my own grandchildren. I doubt that anyone noticed but for the first couple of years I favored Naruto. Maybe it had to do with him being named after my first book or maybe it was something else. It broke my heart when I was given the new prophecy. I never truly wanted to alienate Naruto but I had to for the good of everyone else. I wanted to say "Fuck the prophecy" but the lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few. Now, I've been banned from seeing my godchildren, I am no longer trusted by Minato and Kushina, and my relationship with Naruto is nonexistent" he said with a few tears falling at the end of his speech. Raising his head, he looked Tsunade in the eye. "How did you do it Tsunade? How did you deal with the pain of losing everything close to you?" he asked desperately needing an answer.

Tsunade looked at her lifelong teammate and friend and sighed. "It took time. Quite honestly it took longer than it should have but I realized that I had people who cared about me. People who wanted to help me. People like you" she said making Jiraiya's eyes widen. "Jiraiya, Dan and Nawaki are dead and I won't see them until the next life. Menma and Narumi however are alive. One day Minato will let you see them again and he will accept you back into his family. For now give him time. Life in that household has been hectic to say the least so just give him time to get everything in order. It will be okay Jiraiya" she said with a smile. Jiraiya smiled back but it quickly dropped. "What about Naruto? Do you think that he will ever forgive me?" he asked which caused Tsunade's smile to drop as well. "I don't know, I really don't. I'd like to get closer to the kid but I'm always busy with the hospital and I have a new apprentice on top of that. It may be too late to form a relationship with him but you never know" she said to which Jiraiya nodded in response.

* * *

(Contestants' Box Chunin Exam Arena)

Naruto stood watching as his two most precious people walked to the battlefield to face one another in combat. It would be an interesting match that was for sure. Sasuke had the advantage of larger chakra reserves, more talent in ninjutsu, and the sharingan to assist him in taijutsu and defend against genjutsu. Yakumo however had trained for a month under his mother Kushina Uzumaki, the strongest kunoitchi in the Leaf. He was taken out of his thoughts by the sudden appearance of Tsunade's assistant, Shizune.

It took a moment before Shizune found the nerve to speak to Naruto. "Hi Naruto, I'm here to check on your injuries" she informed. Naruto simply nodded and let her do a routine medical checkup. Immediately after Shizune began with the mystical palm technique, the aches and pains seemed to disappear. Looking at Shizune he nodded his head in thanks to which she simply smiled and left for the infirmary most likely.

Before she could get too far, Naruto called out to her gaining her attention. "Shizune, how is Kurotsuchi?" he asked. Shizune took a moment looking him over before responding. "She suffered a concussion and a broken rib. We were able to heal her up and she is in recovery right now. She should be fine after about a week of bed rest" she said before walking off. Naruto was glad that Kurotsuchi was okay. She was a fierce opponent and one that he could see as a fun challenge down the road. Turning his attention back to the battlefield, he saw that the jounin was re-explaining the rules to Sasuke and Yakumo. Naruto gave out a tired sigh. He didn't anticipate the exams lasting this long. It was already three o' clock and they still had three more matches after this one. And that was only for round 1! Granted that the exams had been delayed until 2 o' clock, it was still wearing on him. Looking up to the kage box, he noticed his mother staring intently at the battlefield.

(Kage Box)

Kushina sat silently examining the young kunoitchi that she had spent the past month training. A feeling of pride swelled within her whenever she looked at how far Yakumo had come. It was almost comical in a sense that she was technically the worst type of teacher that Yakumo could possibly get yet Yakumo had made so much progress. Throughout their training she had gotten to know the girl that her son was so taken with and had to say that she was impressed. It also helped her forget about the pain she felt from disciplining Menma and Narumi so harshly. It hurt to take their ninja licenses away, but ultimately it was necessary as they were becoming a danger to themselves and others.

Shaking her head of the depressing thoughts, she thought back to the first day of Yakumo's training with her. Smiling, she remembered that it was that day that she deemed the girl worthy to be with her eldest son.

(Flashback Team 11 Training Ground)

Kushina stood facing the brunette hussy that thought she deserved her son. Looking the girl over, Kushina slightly frowned. Yakumo didn't exude power but her determination could be felt from a mile a way. Finished analyzing her student of the month, Kushina spoke. "So, I hear that Sasuke Uchiha is your first opponent. I've also heard that you are quite talented in genjutsu" Kushina stated which elicited a slight blush and quick nod from Yakumo at the praise. "Unfortunately, genjutsu is not a well known field for me seeing as I don't have enough chakra control to master the "art"" Kushina said which caused Yakumo to frown for two reasons. The first reason was that it seemed like her boyfriend's mother who she was trying to impress had nothing to teach her. The second reason was due to the way she mocked genjutsu. Genjutsu was an art, one that she herself took very seriously.

"If you can't teach me anything then why did you request me in the first place?" Yakumo almost shouted glaring at the Uzumaki in front of her. Kushina simply crossed her arms and smirked. "I never said that there was nothing I could teach you did I? You are the most talented genjutsu prodigy in years according to Itachi so the field is not something I believe that you should focus primarily on for the month. For your upcoming battle, you are at a severe disadvantage. Sasuke is able to use his sharingan which will cause problems for genjutsu and taijutsu. He has relatively large chakra reserves which means that he will be able to use a multitude of ninjutsu against you. You on the other hand rely mostly on genjutsu but your taijutsu is much better than most genjutsu specialists according to Itachi. Your reserves are too small to get in a ninjutsu war so that leaves us with taijutsu as your only option. So for the duration of the month, I will work with you to create a new style of taijutsu suited specifically for you" Kushina stated.

Yakumo's eyes widened. She had worked hard to develop what was once a fragile body into that of a serious kunoitchi. In doing so, she had created her own style of taijutsu that relied on flexibility. It worked well enough against moderate level opponents but Sasuke knew her moves. "What do you mean by creating a new style of taijutsu?" Yakumo asked which caused Kushina to smile wide. "Well Yakumo I'm glad you asked. I believe that due to your level of genjutsu prowess, we can come up with a way to incorporate your genjutsu into your taijutsu. I'm going to make you fast and strong enough so that as you fight him head on, he won't even notice as you cast your illusions" the red head said which caused Yakumo's eyes to widen in realization.

Nodding her head, Yakumo had one more question to ask the Uzumaki. "Why did you want to train me? Really?" she asked quietly. Kushina at first was surprised at the question but quickly dismissed the feeling and let a blank look settle over her face. "Yakumo, I have only recently been allowed back into my son's life. Even though I've missed so much due to my own stupid decisions, I am still his mother and he will always be my baby boy. He seems to be quite taken with you and I wanted to know why. I wanted to know who you are. I wanted to know if you are a kunoitchi or if you are just a simple fan girl" Kushina said without emotion.

Yakumo thought carefully over Kushina's words before answering. "Naruto was my first friend. The day that Team 11 was created, the two of us went for dinner to get to know each other better. I don't know why but I felt so safe around him at the time. Something about him made me tell him things that I had bottled up for years. He told me to prove everyone who doubted me wrong and that he believed in me. Since the day I met him, his faith in me has never wavered even though there have been times when I've lost faith in myself. Through him, I was able to grow stronger and now I have more people who truly believe in me. To let myself be weak would be an insult to those that have faith in me and I refuse to let their trust be misplaced" the young genjutsu prodigy said with a fire in her eyes.

Kushina smiled at Yakumo's response. 'Naruto, I think that you've got a winner' the red head thought with a smile.

(End Flashback)

The Uzumaki looked down at her student with pride. She knew that she stood as good of a chance as anyone at winning these exams. Well maybe not as much as her son but that didn't matter right now.

(With Itachi)

Itachi sat with his mother Mikoto and father Fugaku in the audience be honest, he was regretting not going up and standing in the jounin section. His father just wouldn't shut up about the superiority of the Uchiha clan and how their prestige would prevail. It upset him that his other student was being dismissed so easy. "Father, I don't believe that this match will be as simple as you think" said Itachi stopping Fugaku from continuing his rant. Mikoto looked at her oldest son curiously but it was Fugaku who asked for an explanation. "Itachi, Sasuke has the sharingan. Nothing in that little girl's bag of tricks can possibly stop Sasuke. Trust me son, Sasuke will destroy everyone in this competition that stands in his way and bring glory to the Uchiha clan" Fugaku said arrogantly. His smile quickly dropped when Itachi responded. "Father, the sharingan isn't everything. While I have trained Sasuke to the best of my ability I cannot claim to know the outcome of this battle. The girl that you seem to dismiss so easily has more potential in genjutsu than me when using my sharingan. She will truly be great one day. I expect great things from her just as I do of Sasuke and Naruto. I believe in my students and know that this will not be an easy obstacle for Sasuke" Itachi said effectively shutting his father up and making Mikoto's eyes widen worryingly for her youngest son.

Looking down at the field where the battle was about to start, Itachi couldn't help but think back to when he began to train his brother for the month.

(Flashback Uchiha Estate)

The two Uchiha brothers stood across from each other, not a word being spoken between them. Breaking the silence, Itachi explained to his brother what would happen during the month of training that he would undergo. "Brother, Yakumo will be a difficult opponent but you have an advantage in taijutsu and ninjutsu" he said to which Sasuke nodded. "I've heard that Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze will be training Yakumo for the month so she will be formidable by the time the two of you fight. It is also most likely that the two will focus on taijutsu due to Kushina's lack of knowledge in genjutsu and Yakumo's lack of reserves for ninjutsu" he said to which Sasuke nodded again. "I'm not sure what their plan will involve, but it is likely that by the end of the month, the two will have come up with a way to counter not only your sharingan but your interceptor style as well" Itachi said which made Sasuke's jaw slightly drop.

Sasuke's mind was racing. He knew that his teammate was strong but to pose such a threat to him was surprising to say the least. But his brother was right about one thing. He had the advantage in multiple areas of combat. Looking at his brother with a determined look, he asked "So what do we do?" Itachi smirked. "What Yakumo will do is try to keep you involved in a fist fight rather than fight you at range. She is quite skilled in terms of taijutsu which means that you can't afford to spend the whole match fighting her up close even though you are the superior taijutsu user. You will need to keep your distance and make use of your ninjutsu. Throughout this month, I am going to make you faster, stronger, and on top of that i will teach you a powerful jutsu that may work well with you" the older Uchiha said. Sasuke smirked at his brother's description of training.

Itachi looked at his brother who seemed more determined than ever. He wasn't one to express emotions, but he felt incredibly proud of his little brother right now. Something told him that this was only the beginning of Sasuke's journey in becoming a great ninja.

(End Flashback)

Itachi looked down at his brother who was now taking his battle stance. The feeling of pride for his brother never left. In fact, over the past month the feeling had only gotten stronger. He didn't know how this match would end, but he would be proud of both of his students regardless of the outcome.

(On the battlefield)

Sasuke and Yakumo stared at one another as the proctor shouted to begin. Both genin were quickly analyzing any weak points they could find. Yakumo was the first to act as she quickly put her hands together and whispered something so quietly that it was unheard by her opponent. Not wanting his opponent to gain any sort of advantage, Sasuke made a series of quick handsigns before shouting "Great Fireball Jutsu" and launched a large ball of fire at the seemingly defenseless girl. Yakumo dodged quickly by jumping up in the air but was met by Sasuke who slammed his fist into her face knocking her back into the ground. Landing softly, Sasuke prepared to launch another jutsu at the downed Yakumo in front of him when his body stopped involuntarily. In front of him, Yakumo slowly got up and wiped a small trickle of blood from a busted lip.

"I would ask if you surrender but you're way to hard headed for that" Yakumo said with a smirk. Sasuke's response was to close his eyes. When they opened, the previous black eyes were replaced by blood red ones that held three tomoes each. Getting over what was an obvious genjutsu attempt by his opponent, Sasuke entered the Interceptor style. Yakumo smiled at him and jumped forward swinging her right fist. Sasuke easily saw the move with his sharingan and dodged by simply moving his head backwards. He was a little disappointed at the sad attempt at a punch until he was suddenly sent flying backwards.

Quickly rising to his feet, Sasuke rubbed his cheek. He had been hit but the question was by what. Yakumo's attack had missed hadn't it? He had no more time to think as the brunette attacked once again. Many of her hits missed yet he was still taking damage as if her attacks had landed. Separating himself from Yakumo, Sasuke looked at Yakumo with his sharingan spinning. 'What the hell is happening? I know that I dodged her hits. Something's up. Wait, genjutsu!' he thought before channeling chakra into a pulse to disrupt the genjutsu.

Yakumo frowned at Sasuke. Did he really think that her genjutsu would be dispelled so easily? Clenching her fists and preparing to rush the Uchiha once again, she noticed Sasuke doing a series of handsigns quickly. "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" the Uchiha shouted before launching a multitude of fireballs in her direction. Yakumo was jumping back and forth dodging the fireballs but misjudged one of them taking the hit and landing on the ground. Getting back to her feet, Yakumo looked up and saw four fireballs in the air prepared to be sent at her. Silently cursing to herself, she put her hands together once again as a last ditch effort.

"Genjutsu won't save you now Yakumo" Sasuke shouted and closed his fist sending the fireballs at his teammate. Just as they were supposed to hit the girl, they suddenly hit what seemed to be an invisible barrier. Looking in confusion, the barrier had started to become visible due to cracks from the fireballs' impact growing quickly. Before long, the barrier shattered into hundreds of pieces as if it were made of glass. Sasuke looked at Yakumo who was now panting heavily. It was obvious that the girl was running low on chakra. The match wouldn't last much longer. Slowly walking towards his opponent, he stopped when Yakumo looked up in anger at him.

"You shouldn't have stopped attacking Sasuke" she said putting her hands together one last time. The shattered shards of the barrier began to rise and flew at Sasuke. There was nothing that he could do to defend himself as the hundreds of shards cut through his skin.

(With Itachi)

Itachi watched as a multitude of cuts formed on his brother's body. To the regular eye it would seem as if these cuts came from nowhere. To the sharingan, he saw the shards themselves slicing his brother's skin. It was a secret known to a select few in Konoha that Yakumo had the ability to make her genjutsu affect the victim not just mentally but physically as well. In many ways, Yakumo could be considered as the most dangerous kunoitchi in the exams because of her ability. Genjutsu had a wide range of potential but the drawback had always been that it was merely an illusion and once the victim realized this, the genjutsu user was in trouble. For Yakumo, she didn't have that drawback making her exceedingly dangerous.

(Kage Box)

The kages watched in silence trying to piece together what was going on. Each of the kages knew that Yakumo had genjutsu prowess due to the preliminaries but didn't know the full extent of her abilities. Kushina just looked down at her student with a smile. Throughout the match, Yakumo had done exactly what they had planned. While they had trained for the month, the two came up with a way to make a taijutsu style that utilized her genjutsu perfectly. Before beginning the taijutsu match, Yakumo had quietly said "Phantom Assailant", which created a physical genjutsu that attacked immediately after her. It was unable to be seen by anyone unless they had either incredible skill in genjutsu or a well experienced sharingan or byakugan. Sasuke's sharingan had evolved to three tomoes but that didn't mean that his eyes were experienced enough to see through the genjutsu.

It didn't matter if Yakumo's physical attacks missed because her "Phantom Assailant" would always land it's hit on an unsuspecting victim. The Uchiha had done well but Yakumo had done better.

(Battlefield)

Sasuke stood with cuts marring his body. He was in a fair amount of pain and was trying to push it to the back of his mind. Slowly standing tall which was no easy feat at the moment, he faced Yakumo who was panting harshly now. He had been foolish to think that his "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" had ended the match. He underestimated her resolve, something that he wouldn't do again. Looking up towards the contestants' box, he thought of Naruto. 'I meant to use this move on you but circumstances dictate me to use it now' he thought before running through a set of handsigns. The last handsigns. Outstretching his arms and putting one hand over the other, he pushed his chakra into his hands. He didn't have much left but he needed it all to finish Yakumo. Feeling that he had an adequate amount for his technique he shouted "Solar Destruction", an unseen move by anyone, even his own brother.

A large golden ball radiating heat formed from Sasuke's hands. "It ends now Yakumo" Sasuke said quietly before launching the ball at the girl who was too tired to move. The golden ball flew with great speed before hitting Yakumo. When it hit the girl, it kept going pushing her backwards. Yakumo was too tired to resist as she was driven into the wall of the arena. It only took a moment for the smoke to clear before everyone saw the result of what had happened. Yakumo was unconscious against the wall, her clothes tattered, and blood slowly dripping from her nose and mouth along with a few bruises to her face that had already begun to revel themselves.

Sasuke fell to his knees after the attack. Despite it being a fire type move, it was not at full power when he performed it so there wasn't that much concentrated heat inside of it. Ideally, the ball would be a giant ball of fire that could burn everything in it's path. One day he would be able to use the jutsu to it's full extent, but for now all he needed was to knock out Yakumo which he did. The proctor announced the victory for Sasuke while Yakumo who was beginning to stir was taken by the medics.

(Itachi)

Itachi smiled with pride at not only his brother's performance but Yakumo's as well. Both were talented ninja who had greatness in their future. Next to him his father had his arms crossed but was smiling. His mother however was yelling and cheering louder than anyone else in the entire stadium it seemed. To Itachi, it was quite amusing due to the fact that his mother was usually quite reserved except when it came to her children. Itachi quietly chuckled at the moment.

(Kage Box)

Minato sat in thought. It seemed like it was just yesterday when Itachi had told him that his team had the potential to be greater than the Sannin. It had garnered laughs, eye rolls, and mutterings of disbelief at the time but seeing Team 11 today made him think that perhaps Itachi wasn't exaggerating. Knowing that it was time to give his opinion, Minato sat tall. "I believe that both Sasuke and Yakumo have proven their worthiness of the title of chunin" he said which gained nods of agreement from A, and Onoki. Rasa remained quiet. Kushina barely heard what her husband had said as she thought about her student. Despite losing the match, Yakumo had proven that a genjutsu user had the ability to be the most dangerous asset in a battle. Pride in her student swelled within Kushina. 'Yeah Naruto, you definitely picked a keeper' she thought with a smile.

(Sasuke)

Sasuke slowly left the field and made his way up to the contestants' box, every step taking effort. When he reached the box, he almost fell to the ground in exhaustion if not for being caught by his teammate and best friend.

Naruto gave his friend a smirk. "What's the matter Sasuke, too tired to keep going?" he said egging his teammate on. Sasuke grunted but smiled nonetheless. Naruto led Sasuke to a nearby seat and sat him down. Opening his shinobi pack, he pulled out a chakra pill and a blood pill and gave them to Sasuke. "Here, this should help" he said and Sasuke took the pills with a grateful smile before swallowing. The two sat in silence for a nearly a minute before Sasuke broke it. "So are you angry at me for beating your girlfriend?" Sasuke asked looking at Naruto. The blonde smiled. "No Sasuke. She gave it her all and you did the same. To me that is the best way to show respect in a battle. I hope that when you face me that you will give me the same amount of effort" he said with a smile to which Sasuke smiled back.

The two once again let silence overtake them as they looked towards the battlefield for the next match.

Yugito Nii of Kumo vs Gaara of Suna.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope that you all liked this chapter. Next up is jinchuriki vs jinchuriki and the beginning of the invasion. Also there will be a little surprise at who is pretending to be the Kazekage (SPOILER ALERT KIND OF: Rasa is dead). Anyway, hope you liked it and don't forget to review! I've made adjustments too the story a couple of times because sometimes you all have better ideas at where to go with this than I do. I appreciate all of your support and hope that I continue to entertain you all.


	17. An Invasion Begins

UnsanMusho: I just didn't really feel the need to put Kurenai's perspective seeing as she saw her former pupil's abilities in the prelims and Yakumo has moved on from her. Thanks for the review.

Gammagyro: Even though Naruto, Sasuke, and Yakumo have completed all of the chakra exercises, they still tend to overuse their chakra on jutsu which I will go into after the invasion. Yakumo is going to learn sealing from Kushina later on while at the same time learning to use a scythe with occasional help from Naruto on how to wield a large weapon. Naruto will be learning multiple styles that the previous swordsmen including Sera used. Minato will be training him in the planning and strategy and such. Sasuke will get a weapon as well but I don't think that it'll be an axe because I'm going to be building him up as more of a speed type. Sasuke will also begin to make some of his own jutsu more as he learns from Itachi and xxSPOILER ALERTxx good Orochimaru. Yakumo is also going to become a little more "territorial" of Naruto but not in a clingy way. Eventually the two will have a conversation about their future together beyond ninja life. Appreciate the ideas always.

PinkiePieParty122894: Yeah Jiraiya's realizing what he did now. Thanks for the review I appreciate it a lot.

Jasmine: I'll be honest, the twins are pretty far gone but later in the story the possibility for redemption will arise for them. Appreciate the review.

Guest: Yeah there are a lot of barriers between Naruto and Jiraiya. Jiraiya isn't up to date with who Naruto is as a person so there will definitely be conflict in the future. Yakumo will be getting a scythe as her weapon and I'm still deciding on what weapon Sasuke will use. Naruto is still learning all he can about swordsmanship and his abilities but I don't think that I'll bring Bleach or Vampire Hunter D into it because I don't really know much about those two. Thanks for reviewing.

Animaman: Minato and Kushina will reflect on what they did wrong in terms of Menma and Narumi which will open the door for them thinking back to how they neglected Naruto. They will also start looking around for any kind of answer as to why the twins left. Jiraiya's attitude towards Naruto is still up in the air especially after the twins leave. Thanks for the review I appreciate them a lot.

* * *

Yugito Nii stood across from her opponent, Gaara of the Sand. She already knew that she was facing another jinchuriki, Nibi had told her that much. On the outside she may be facing the son of the Kazekage, but in reality she was facing the one tailed tanuki, Shukaku. When the proctor announced for the match to begin, she immediately had to dodge the waves of sand that were sent at her by Gaara. "Yugito, you have to use my power. I've seen jinchuriki like him before. They are unstable and when one of my siblings are released from an unstable jinchuriki, people die. You have to finish him before he releases Shukaku" Nibi said from inside Yugito's mindscape. 'Damn, I really wanted to do this on my own, but I'll just have to wait until next round' Yugito thought as she continued to dodge. When the blasts of sand stopped, Yugito immediately focused all of her chakra just like Bee had taught her.

The kages watched as Yugito's chakra output began to increase rapidly. A's eyes widened when he realized what was happening. Turning to his brother, he was surprised to see the look of seriousness that marred Bee's face. "Kazekage don't feel down, but Yugito's gonna make your son look like a clown" Bee said smiling as everyone in the kage box sweatdropped. The kages were brought out of their musings however when a large burst of chakra was felt. Turning back to the battle, everyone but A and Bee had looks of surprise.

Yugito stood breathing harder than usual from focusing so much chakra, but it had the desired effect. Now protruding from her fingers were long and sharp nails while behind her waved a long blue and black tail of chakra. Smirking, she rushed at Gaara on all fours before jumping to strike. When Gaara's sand shield arose, she slashed through it with her right hand. She hadn't hit Gaara, but she was on the right track. Before she could think up a strategy of how to reach the red head, she was forced to dodge as more sand was sent at her. She successfully dodged the blast of sand however she had forgotten that Gaara had pretty much complete control over the element. The sand blast that she had dodged simply returned and hit her in the back sending her to the ground. Before she could get up another blast of sand hit her, then another, and then another. As she lie on the ground, the sand that had hit her slowly formed around her body and lifted her up to meet Gaara's eyes.

The blonde kunoitchi was struggling to get out of the sand while cursing herself. 'How could I have been so careless? Damn it I have to get out of this quick' she thought before looking at her smiling opponent. "Today, you will prove my existence" the one tailed jinchuriki said before closing his hand with an insane smile. "Sand Coffin" he said causing the pile of sand surrounding Yugito to completely implode crushing the girl. As parts of sand began to drop from the blob of sand that had encased and killed his opponent, Gaara began to laugh loudly. His laughter was the only sound that was made in the entire arena. The audience was so shocked and horrified that they couldn't make a sound. The ninja looked silently on at the risk of being a shinobi. Everyone in the kage box was wide eyed and shocked at how quickly the match had turned. Everyone except A, Bee, and Rasa.

The proctor came out to announce Gaara as the winner when the blob of sand that had crushed Yugito began to shake. At first it was a slow rumble, but it quickly evolved into a rigorous shaking. Before either Gaara or the proctor could react, the sand exploded outwards revealing a chakra covered Yugito in its place. Slightly panting, the Kumo nin stood tall and wiped her mouth of a small amount of blood. Turning her eyes to her opponent, she smirked. "Got another one in ya?" she asked which caused an unusual and somewhat frightening reaction to those who knew Gaara. His face now showed his anger. Normally his face remained blank while sometimes letting out an insane smile when he got the chance to "prove his existence". He never showed his anger, not until now. Gaara yelled out in anger before releasing all of the sand in his gourd to go after Yugito. The blonde smiled. "All according to plan" she said to herself. As the large wave of sand began to chase after her, she once again began to run on all fours. When she got into position to run, she took off backwards as the sand continued to chase her.

Eventually she reached the wall and used chakra to stick to it. The sand's speed increased as it closed in on as the sand reached her location, Yugito smiled. "This should be far enough" she said with a smile and vanished. Only the shinobi could see her as she ran quickly along the wall before using it as a launching point to her opponent. Pushing as hard as she could with her legs, she flew at Gaara with her nails extended. Usually it wouldn't be a problem due to Gaara's sand shield, but in his anger he had sent all of his sand leaving him defenseless. "Cat Claw" Yugito shouted as blue chakra began to cover her hands again. With a single swipe, Yugito landed behind Gaara whose eyes were wide with shock. The boy slowly looked down to see five long cuts to his chest and blood pouring out.

"My blood" he said quietly at first. "MY BLOOD" Gaara finally screamed as his sand returned to him. Turning around to meet his opponent, his sand began to cover half of his body while one of his eyes was now black and yellow with a black star in the center. That's when the feathers began to drop and the kage box exploded.

* * *

(Top of Kage Box)

On top of the kage box stood Minato Namikaze Hokage of the Leaf, A Raikage of Kumo, Onoki Tsuchikage of Iwa, Kushina Uzumaki, Bee of Kumo, and Rasa Kazekage of Suna.

"What the hell just happened?" yelled out A but was interrupted from saying anything else by the chuckling of Rasa. The kages and their guests faced the Kazekage. "Rasa what have you done?" shouted Minato. The response he received was that the chuckling turned into laughter. Looking up at the kage Rasa quickly removed his robe and hat. "I apologize for the misconception but I am not Rasa. You may call me Iliel if you like" the now revealed man said with a smile. The man reached down to his side where a katana now rested and removed it from its sheath.

"Yo bro I'll take down this foe" Bee said reaching for his sword. Faster than any of the group could see, Bee was sent flying back with a large gash across his chest. "Pathetic" Iliel said resting his sword on his shoulder. The kages and Kushina looked at the Kumo jinchuriki in shock. His wound was healing but very slowly.

Turning in rage, A immediately activated his lightning armor and attacked Iliel. Just as the Raikage was about to land a hit on the swordsman, he vanished only to appear right behind A. Stopping in his tracks, A fell to a knee with a gash on his shoulder. Minato, Kushina, and Onoki looked on in disbelief at the speed of Iliel. When the white haired swordsman turned back around to face the uninjured members of the group, his eyes widened before raising his arm to block a punch from behind that came from A. The force of the punch pushed Iliel back a few feet but the man soon righted himself. "I see that I misjudged your endurance, it won't happen again" Iliel said to the panting Raikage.

"You won't live to regret the mistake" said A who gritted his teeth. Minato and Onoki stepped forward to enter the battle. Turning to his wife, Minato spoke. "Kushina, get Bee to the hospital. We'll take it from here" he said making the red head look at him in disbelief. "I'm not leaving Minato, we are gonna do this toget-" "No Kushina! Get Bee to the hospital. This isn't your fight" Minato interrupted with the same seriousness that made him feared throughout the elemental nations. Kushina wanted to ignore her husband and join the fight, but his tone changed her mind as she rushed to pick up Bee and leave. Minato turned his attention back to the enemy. "I'm gonna be sleeping on the couch for a few nights I guess" Minato said with a smirk. Iliel tilted his head. "You're wrong Minato Namikaze. After today, your body will rest in the ground" Iliel said smiling.

Onoki crossed his arms. "Why are you doing this?" the old kage asked. Iliel raised an eyebrow. "Simple. Without a kage, the villages will panic. Trust me it falls into a plan greater than you could ever imagine, but you don't need to concern yourself with that. After all, this will be your last day alive" Iliel said. Onoki snorted. "I am the oldest kage in the elemental nations. Thousands have claimed to be the one to kill me and thousands have died by my hand. I have faced many powerful opponents, but I doubt that you will be one that I separate from the rest" Onoki said as dust began to quickly form around his hands. Minato nodded and pulled out his three pronged kunai. A activated his lightning armor. Iliel simply rolled his neck. "A futile effort but I will entertain it anyway" the man said raising his sword.

* * *

(Naruto and Sasuke)

Naruto looked up at the kage box and saw the only person since Sera to beat him in a duel. Clenching his teeth, he stretched out his arm calling his sword which instantly appeared in his grasp. He was about to go off and fight the man known as Iliel in the rematch that he had wanted since his loss but was brought out of it when he was shaken by Sasuke. "Naruto, look" Sasuke said pointing at the arena where Yugito was now faced with Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara whose body was now becoming more sand than human. Biting his lip, Naruto nodded his head and the two took off to help out the Kumo kunoitchi.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo was rushing as fast as her tired body could take her. She had awoken in the infirmary to the sound of battle. After she had left her room to investigate the disturbance, a purple haired ANBU who had just finished killing a sand nin told her to head to the academy and help with evacuation procedures. From what she had seen, the ANBU were doing all that they could to keep back sound and sand ninja. There were a few buildings on fire but Yakumo didn't take time to notice them.

Finally arriving at the academy, she saw a group of sound nin surrounding around twenty academy students and a knocked out Iruka. Immediately recognizing the situation Yakumo did a series of quick handsigns and whispered "Blinding Darkness". She knew that her genjutsu had taken effect when each of the group began to look around frantically, not yet understanding that they were trapped in a genjutsu. Not wasting any time Yakumo quickly sped over to meet the scared children. Looking into their eyes, Yakumo could see the children's fear. Knowing that they were scared, the genjutsu prodigy stood tall and spoke calmly to the kids. "Listen up kids, I need each of you to follow me" Yakumo said trying to reassure the students. "Follow you where?" a brown haired academy student asked worriedly. Yakumo began thinking about where they could go when the voice of a newly recovered chunin spoke.

"The shelters" Iruka Umino said before coughing. "The shelters behind the Hokage Monument. Take the kids there Yakumo" Iruka ordered before coughing some more. "What about you sensei?" Yakumo asked to which Iruka shakily stood up. "I'll buy you some time just get up there before your jutsu ends" the chunin said. Yakumo shook her head rapidly. "No sensei, you're coming with us" she stated. Iruka turned to look at his former student. "It wasn't a suggestion Yakumo. As your superior I am ordering you to complete the evacuation. Go now!" he shouted. But before Yakumo could respond, small pulses of chakra were felt from each of the sound shinobi. They had disrupted the genjutsu.

"So you got the drop on us. You should have killed us little girl" said a sound ninja who stepped forward. Yakumo tightened her fists. Taking a deep breath she stepped forward as well. "Iruka sensei, I want you to wait for an opening. When it happens, take the kids and leave" Yakumo said in a serious tone. Iruka looked at his former student as if she were crazy. "Yakumo, I told you that I will hold them off now g-" "Iruka you can't even gain their attention in your condition so shut up and wait!" Yakumo shouted shutting up her former instructor. Stepping forward once again, Yakumo removed a kunai and held it tightly. She had been outnumbered before and lived to see another day. There was a major difference between bandits and ninja however. Shaking her head, Yakumo prepared herself. 'I will protect them even if it cost me my life' Yakumo resolved inside herself before dashing towards her opponents.

* * *

(Jiraiya and Tsunade)

The two Sannin were together fighting off sand ninja and sound ninja alike. Things weren't going great for a number of reasons. Jiraiya was still flushing the alcohol from his system, Tsunade was covering Jiraiya's occasional slip ups, and the enemies just kept on coming. The skill of the sound and sand ninja weren't the challenging part of their battle, it was the number of people that the two had to continuously fight. It seemed as if every time they killed a ninja, five more appeared. It was beginning to wear a little on them. Normally the two could just summon Katsuyu and Gamabunta and end the battle but Jiraiya at the moment was hard pressed to do high level ninjutsu much less a summoning jutsu, and Tsunade was to busy fighting off the enemies with her fists to perform her summoning jutsu. But even though the ninja kept coming at them, Jiraiya and Tsunade stood strong defeating all those who came their way in an effort to protect their home.

* * *

(Naruto and Sasuke)

When Naruto and Sasuke reached Gaara and Yugito, the red headed jinchuriki turned around and took off towards the forest. Just as Yugito prepared to take off after Gaara, Naruto stopped her. "Wait, we'll go after him. You need to find a way to help your Raikage" Naruto said. Yugito looked at the fellow blond as if he were crazy. "Are you kidding me? I don't know if you know this but he is a jinchuriki not just another genin" she said loudly. At first Naruto said nothing. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and raised his sword onto his shoulder. "I know what he is. It's your duty to protect your leader isn't it? Our duty is to protect our village so leave this to us" Naruto said calmly. Yugito looked like she wanted to argue more but with everything that was going on around them she put her trust in the Konoha genin and left in the direction of her teammates Karui and Omoi who were fighting Temari and Kankuro of the Sand.

Once Yugito left Naruto looked at Sasuke and nodded. The two started to run after Gaara.

* * *

(Itachi)

Itachi stood with his father and mother fighting off sand and sound ninja but having to be careful due to unconscious civilians around them. Killing multitudes of ninja while simultaneously keeping the sleeping citizens safe from harm wasn't easy but it was the duty of a Konoha ninja. As he finished off another sound ninja, he looked down at the arena to see the Suna jinchuriki take off towards the forest. When Gaara left, his nerves calmed down now that the unstable jinchuriki was away from his little brother only for them to return as he watched his brother and Naruto take off after Gaara. Cursing to himself, he prepared to run after the two only for more hordes of ninja to swarm in. Continuously cursing in his head, the Uchiha stayed behind with his mother and father to fulfill the duty of protecting the village. He trusted his students. They would be okay.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo was more tired than she had ever been in her entire life. She was covered in cuts and bruises and was having trouble breathing, but she stood tall in defense of the academy students behind her. Seven of the enemy ninja were dead leaving only three. Not giving her opponents time to strategize, she ran at one of the ninja and started to land quick strikes to his body. When the other two joined in to stop her, she simply dodged their attacks and launched a few of her own. Engaging them in a taijutsu battle was a double edged sword in this case. On one hand they couldn't use any jutsu against her and were frankly pitiful in terms of taijutsu. On the other hand however, she was becoming more and more exhausted by each passing second. It hurt to move but she knew that any hesitation on her part would result in not only her death, but the deaths of the academy students and Iruka. Pushing beyond her normal limits, she used everything she had to hit harder and faster. It wasn't long until the three ninja were knocked out.

Staggering towards the three unconscious sound nin, she took her kunai and stabbed all three in the side of their heads to prevent further problems. After the deed was done, Yakumo fell to a knee, her vision becoming blurry. She couldn't help but let a small smile reveal itself on her face. She had done it. She had won.

Her satisfied expression quickly turned into one of pure horror when ten more sand and sound ninja showed up.

"Look guys, the little girl thought she won" said one of the sound ninja which elicited a few chuckles from their group. "I'm guessing that you didn't sense us while we watched your last stand. I will admit, you've got guts but this is the end. Don't worry though, we won't kill all your little academy students, after all I'm sure that we can find a few people in the market for some kids" the sound ninja said with a disgusting grin. The students behind Yakumo began to cry and Iruka began to cough again as he tried to get up and protect his students. He had failed so far but it would be over his dead body that his students were sold for whatever sick purposes these monsters had in mind.

Yakumo's eyes began to water yet she didn't feel sad. She was furious. If she had only sensed the reinforcements then she could have preserved her energy better. If Iruka had done his job and gotten the students out of there then the stakes wouldn't be so high. If only an ANBU or ninja higher than genin was in her position. Clenching her fists and closing her eyes, she screamed.

When her eyes opened, she was in a dimly lit wooden room. Looking around, she saw no doors or windows. Before Yakumo could get too far in her thoughts of where she was, a voice sounded throughout the room. A voice that she had prayed that she would never hear again.

"Hello my dear Yakumo" said the cold voice as a creature rose from the floor, not able to be seen completely due to the lack of light. Yakumo gritted her teeth and responded. "Hello Ido" she said clenching her fists which elicited a chuckle from the demon across from her. "What can I do for you?" asked Yakumo sarcastically which gained another chuckle from the demon. "Oh no Yakumo, it isn't what you can do for me. It's what I can do for you" the demon said. Yakumo rolled her eyes. "And what is that?" she asked. Ido wasted no time responding. "It seems that you are in a bit of a mess. Whether or not you want to admit it, you need me. That is unless you want those poor children that you're fighting so hard to protect to be sent Kami knows where for purposes even I would consider unsavory" Ido said with a smirk. "You know that you have no choice. Release me" the demon said now grinning widely. Yakumo quickly shook her head. "No. Last time you ran free, you tried to burn down the clan compound. I won't risk letting you out" she said with a fierce glare.

It was then that different scenes began to pop into her head. Scenes of the different possibilities of her battle. Scenes of her dying, scenes of her being tortures and raped, scenes of the students being sold into slavery or being killed on sight. It was unbearable and the most frightening aspect was that it was easily possible. She couldn't protect the kids as she was now. Looking at the ground, she let tears fall. Looking at the demon, she subtly nodded her head. 'If Ido goes too crazy, Kami please let me die before I can hurt anyone' was her final prayer before Ido took over.

The sound and sand nin looked on as dark chakra began to envelop the girl who had just a moment ago screamed in despair of her situation. When the chakra dissipated, the new sight caused each of the ninja to take a few steps backwards. In place of the weakened brunette was a monster. It's fangs stretched past it's jaw, it's eyes were red and demonic, and it had what seemed like horns protruding from both sides of it's head. It struck fear into the ninja who were now beginning to rethink getting into this fight. That was as far as their thoughts got before each of their bodies went rigid. Unable to move, they enemy nin watched in terror as the demon approached.

"It's been so long since I've been out. I must remember to thank the girl for giving me a few playthings in celebration of my release" Ido said with a twisted grin. Raising it's arms the demon's smile widened. "Your deaths will not be quick nor will they be painless. Suffer at the hands of Ido" it said.

There were a few moments of silence and it started to seem like nothing had happened. That's when the screaming began. For some, cuts and scratches began to form. For others, dark purple veins began to stretch out all along their bodies. Each of them were suffering from a genjutsu that made you suffer through intense physical torture. It was simple but effective. A couple of the ninja affected had realized that it was a genjutsu but found out the hard way that for Yakumo, genjutsu isn't just an illusion. As their screams continued, some began to claw their eyes out. Others were rolling on the ground in pain unable to come up with anything else to do. Their cries were disturbing but to Ido, it was a symphony that put a smile on it's face. Eventually the cries stopped as the enemy ninja now lie dead with looks of pain forever etched on their faces.

Ido began to chuckle which quickly turned into a loud laugh. Turning around to face the academy students and Iruka, the demon smiled again. "That stupid girl released me in hopes that I would protect you but unfortunately for you, I have a lot of fun to catch up on" Ido said. Iruka stood in front of the scared children with his kunai out ready to defend his students. As the demon approached, a stumble in it's walk confused the onlookers. "No you stupid girl. You need me. I won't let you banish me, I won't!" the demon shouted while grasping it's head before screaming at the sky. The dark chakra that had once enveloped Yakumo began to slowly fade causing the monstrous features of Ido to fade as well. It wasn't long until Yakumo was revealed. Immediately after the dark chakra had left, she fell forward in exhaustion.

Iruka was about to go tend to his former student when a swirl of what seemed to be paper arrived near the girl. The paper revealed a blue haired woman in a black coat with red clouds. The woman lifted Yakumo and looked at Iruka. "Where do you need to go?" she asked. Iruka too bewildered at the turn of events said nothing, only motioned for her to follow him and the students.

* * *

(Naruto and Sasuke)

Naruto and Sasuke eventually caught up to Gaara whose body was covered halfway in sand. The jinchuriki was muttering something to himself that the Konoha genin couldn't understand. "Gaara it's over" shouted Naruto to which Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's over? Really? How about this. Gaara, either surrender or die" the Uchiha said with a smirk. Naruto's eyebrow ticked. "Sasuke maybe try not to piss off the unstable jinchuriki" Naruto said turning to Sasuke. Sasuke turned his attention to his teammate before responding. "Well I'm sorry that I didn't use your stupid overused one liner" Sasuke retorted which led to the two starting a meaningless argument taking their attention off of Gaara. The red head used this opportunity to put his hands in the ram sign and whisper "Play Possum Jutsu".

It was surprising how committed the Konoha genin were to their discussion as they were able to completely ignore the one tailed tanuki Shukaku being released. The two would have continued arguing if it wasn't for the tanuki revealing itself to the world.

"YEAH BABY I'M BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER" the tailed beast shouted causing both genin to slowly look up and realize how monumental of a mistake they had just made. "Well fuck, we screwed up" said Naruto before raising his sword in a stance. Sasuke looked at his teammate with his eyes widened. "No shit Naruto. How the hell are we gonna beat that thing" Sasuke said angrily. Naruto shook his head. Going through the options, he was pushing his mind to come up with something. Anything. He quickly came to a decision before turning to Sasuke. "Sasuke I need you to buy me some time. Hopefully he won't notice us but we have to keep him away from the village so distract him if you have to" Naruto said calmly. Sasuke on the other hand looked at his leader as if he were crazy. "Are you insane? How in the hell am I supposed to distract THAT" Sasuke shouted while pointing at the sand demon. Naruto took a deep breath. "I know that I'm asking a lot, just trust me" Naruto said with a serious tone that got Sasuke's nod of acceptance before he jumped off to prepare a distraction. Naruto stayed where he was and began to channel all the chakra that he could.

When Naruto began to channel his chakra, it unfortunately made a large chakra pulse that got the attention of Shukaku. Knowing what he had to do, Sasuke ran up a nearby tree all the way to the top silently praying that he wouldn't die. Reaching the top, Sasuke did the only thing he could think of at the moment. Quickly doing the handsigns, Sasuke shouted "Great Fireball Jutsu" launching a large fireball at the giant tanuki's chest. The fireball did virtually no damage but did gain the tailed beast's attention.

Slowly turning to face the person who had the audacity to challenge him, Shukaku looked at the Uchiha. "YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA WORK? I'M OUT AND I'M NEVER GOING BACK BABY. TIME FOR YOU TO DIE" the tanuki shouted before launching a giant air bullet at the genin. Cursing, Sasuke jumped trees as quickly as he could trying to avoid the bullet. Running and jumping as fast as he could, he barely avoided the air blast. Sasuke went to a knee panting when Shukaku launched another air bullet. Groaning, Sasuke began to try and avoid that as well but wasn't fast enough as it hit him and sent him flying into another tree where he remained still. "HA HA YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD MESS WITH THE BEST" Shukaku yelled out while laughing wildly. That was when the tanuki felt another large pulse of chakra. Looking down at the source, it's eyes focused on a little blonde boy who was smothered in blue chakra. Deciding to have some more fun, the beast began to take steps towards the boy.

Sasuke sat on one of the top branches of the tree he was knocked into. Leaning against the tree, he put effort into breathing. His chest hurt like crazy and he knew that something was probably broken. 'I wonder if this is how Naruto felt when that snake hit him. Not a great feeling' he thought as he looked up to see the beast starting to go in his teammate's direction. Ignoring the pain he felt throughout his body, he shakily stood up. 'I am an Uchiha. I won't be disgraced by the likes of a pathetic sand demon' Sasuke thought gritting his teeth. Putting his hands together, he pulled out every bit of chakra he could find. 'Even if I die, I'll take this demon with me' Sasuke resolved before shouting "Solar Destruction". Launching a massive burning golden sphere at the tanuki, Sasuke fell but held on for hi life on the tree branch. 'It's up to you now Naruto' he thought.

Shukaku was so focused on the blonde who had gathered an insane amount of chakra that it didn't notice a giant flaming ball coming towards him until it was too late. The ball hit the side of it's head and actually caused it to stumble. When the tanuki looked up, the entire right side surface of it's face was glass. Looking at where the attack came from, it growled at the boy that had dared to survive his previous attack. Before he could take any action towards the boy, chakra pulsed one last time much more powerful than the previous pulses.

Naruto focused all of his chakra and had finally summoned up enough. It would take everything in him but if he could pull it off, the battle would end. Biting his left thumb and rubbing the blood on the tattoo he had received from his master, he shouted "SUMMONING JUTSU LEVIATHAN". After shouting those words, the sky darkened as storm clouds quickly formed over the area. Bolts of lightning continuously struck as the greatest of all the serpents was summoned to the mortal world. Mist began to spread throughout the entire forest. Once the mist dissipated, in it's place was a serpent far bigger than the demon Shukaku. When the creature was revealed, it roared louder than the mightiest of thunder. Leviathan the leader of the serpents had been summoned.

Shukaku started to take a few steps back. It had heard of these creatures but had thought that they like the dragons were long gone. Now it was facing one of the most powerful creatures in existence and was not feeling good about it's own odds.

Leviathan looked down at the one who had summoned him. "Hello Naruto, I see that you have given me a worthy opponent though I am curious as to why you didn't summon Levios for this" the serpent said. Naruto simply smirked. "Levios and I will have many more opportunities to fight greater battles than this but I want this over quickly because I'm kind of running on fumes and the village is being invaded" he yelled out so that the serpent could hear him. Leviathan did a small nod. "Very well I will end this quickly" he said before he was stopped by Naruto. "Leviathan there is a boy within the beast. Try not to kill him" Naruto yelled once more. Leviathan once again nodded before facing his opponent.

Shukaku was to afraid to deal with this challenge so when the serpent launched itself at it, it couldn't do anything in response. The serpent coiled around it to hold it in place before rising up. Shukaku looked up into the serpent's eyes only to see it's end. Leviathan let loose an incredibly powerful stream of water at the tanuki quickly turning it's body into nothing more than a giant mud puddle. Shukaku's last thought before it's physical body was destroyed was 'How?'. After Leviathan's attack, Gaara was revealed in the middle of the mud pile seemingly unharmed. Looking at Naruto Leviathan said "The opponent is defeated and I must return home" he said before disappearing into mist. Naruto chuckled. "Thank Leviathan" he said quietly before slowly walking to the Suna jinchuriki who was now stirring from his sleep.

Upon reaching the Suna ninja, he was met with the surprising sight of Sasuke standing over Gaara. "Sasuke what are you doing?" Naruto asked. Sasuke didn't turn to answer his teammate but simply said "Protecting the village". The tone of it made Naruto flinch. "Sasuke it's over okay. He was under control of Shukaku" he said calmly. Sasuke with a little resistance inside of his head stepped away from the Suna ninja.

"Why" said a voice almost too quiet to be heard. Naruto looked at the red headed speaker. "Because I know what it's like to feel like you have no one. I also know that one person is all it takes to make you feel like you have everything" Naruto responded before looking at his teammate. "Sasuke, he can't use his sand jutsu and is almost completely out of chakra. Take him to the hospital" Naruto ordered. Sasuke nodded and picked up Gaara. Before he left, he asked Naruto without turning around "What will you do?". Naruto simply replied "There's one last battle I must fight" before the two separated.

As Naruto jumped through the trees towards Konoha, he stopped quickly when a kunai landed in front of him. Looking at the kunai he noticed something attached to it. When he looked closer, his eyes widened as he realized it was an explosive note. Jumping back as quickly as he could, he narrowly avoided the explosion.

"I told you that he would dodge it Menma" said a voice from the trees. "I know sis but wouldn't you rather he suffer before his death rather than get a quick and easy one" said another voice. As Naruto looked around trying to locate the direction of the voices, he quickly raised his sword when two figures walked out of the trees directly in front of him. "You have a point there Menma" said the now revealed Narumi who stood next to her brother Menma. With a smile she addressed the person she hated more than anyone. "Hello Naruto" she said as Menma smiled as well.

Naruto tightened his grip on his sword.

"Well fuck."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hope everyone liked the chapter. Up next is the fight between Naruto and his siblings along with the ending of the Iliel Kages battle. Who will die, who will live who knows? I know that I kinda rushed through a lot but I hope you liked it anyway. Thanks for all of the support and keep up those reviews.


	18. The Lunar Soldier Returns

PinkiePieParty122894: He does this chapter and will do so more in the future as well.

DxGRAYxMAN: I think he tries to teach a lesson but the twins are too thick skulled to get it.

1995hzq: They definitely get a little bit of karma.

zero fullbuster: I'm glad that you're liking it and hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

Animaman: Unfortunately there isn't any ally that pops in for Naruto's battle with the twins but I'll let you see who pops in later this chapter. Orochimaru will redeem himself just not yet. It'll probably be through service to the village, teaching, and a bunch of other things. Naruto does awaken his full power or at least his full power for the moment as it'll grow as the story progresses. Another thing for Jiraiya, people are going to start to see that he's acting irrational to say the least.

raw666: Not sure if you meant the Iwa Kage will be the target of Iliel or Konan. Iliel is definitely trying to kill all the kage but he tends to play with his food sort of. Konan is there to find her sister Sera who she doesn't know is dead but she's helping out the Leaf.

Jasmine: Well you're half right and you'll find out which half this chapter.

slacott3: I wouldn't say that Naruto's parents are tricking him. His parents genuinely regret their neglectful actions towards Naruto and want to make amends.

Gammagyro: I'm looking at scythe designs finding one for Yakumo and I'm not sure what type of ability it will have. I really like the idea of the spear for Sasuke, it's definitely unique and an interesting choice for him. The organization that Iliel is in is called the Shinigami's Blade and I'll be going more in depth about their members and goals next chapter.

* * *

Naruto didn't have to be a genius to know what was happening. His brother and sister had stayed at a distance so that neither he nor Sasuke could sense them and waited until he used most of his chakra. Cursing to himself, Naruto gripped his sword tighter. "Menma, Narumi, it doesn't have to be like this. Just go home and we'll forget this happened okay?" Naruto said calmly, hoping that his distant siblings would take his advice. Narumi laughed and Menma smirked. After Narumi's laughter died down, Menma spoke. "Naruto there's no going back home for us and especially for you. We're done with the Leaf Village. It's time for us to move on to bigger and better things, then we will be recognized as the gods that we are" Menma said passionately while Narumi smiled at her brother's words. Naruto shook his head. "This is your final warning. You either go home or I break your bones and bring you back later. You know that you can't win this" he said glaring at the two. Narumi smirked. "You underestimate us Naruto. We are the jinchuriki of the nine tailed fox, no one has the amount of power that we are able to wield and it's time the world realized that. Goodbye Naruto" she said.

Menma rushed at Naruto while Narumi stayed behind preparing the jutsu given to them by their godfather that would end Naruto once and for all. As Menma came closer, Naruto shook his head in disappointment. Stabbing his sword into the ground he vanished and reappeared behind Menma grabbing his head. Quickly slamming him face first into the ground, he picked him up and threw him into the air. After throwing his brother, Naruto jumped up into the air as well and slammed his fist into the defenseless Menma's stomach forcing blood to fly out of the boy's mouth. Before the two began to fall, Naruto grabbed Menma's right arm and threw the boy down hard into the ground again. Landing softly near his brother, he turned around to see Narumi who had a charged Rasenshuriken ready to throw. Naruto didn't try to dodge the attack. Instead, he reached out his arm and summoned his sword before holding it in front of himself in a defensive position. The attack hit his sword and began to push Naruto back, but he held his ground. Before long, it became apparent that the attack wasn't going to slice through his sword so it detonated in an explosion of chakra. The result being Menma and Narumi blown backwards yet Naruto once again held his ground.

Shaking his head, Naruto made his way towards Narumi who was panting heavily. Picking the girl up by her hair, he kneed her in the gut hard enough to send blood out of her mouth. He finished her with a powerful punch to the face that sent her flying into an adjacent tree. Both Narumi and Menma were dealt with and whimpering in pain. Naruto was actually surprised that the two were still conscious. Just as he was about to summon two shadow clones to take his siblings back which would deplete his chakra even further, he felt an ominous presence behind him. Without hesitation, the blonde turned around quickly and shouted "Hammer Slash" launching his attack. To his complete surprise, the attack hit but was ineffective. When the slashes ended, the newcomer was revealed. A large muscular man with black hair and a scar on his face wielding a large purely black sword walked forward chuckling. "Yes you definitely are Sera's student. Just her type. Impulsive and ignorant" he said in amusement causing Naruto to growl and raise his sword. Before the blonde could respond, the black haired swordsman was already behind him with both of his siblings in each arm.

Naruto turned with his eyes widened at the speed the man held. "Grow strong young Naruto. For when you reach your peak, that's when I will take everything from you" the unknown man said with a smile before disappearing into what seemed to be pure darkness. Once the man and the twins vanished into darkness, any trace of them disappeared as well. As hard as he tried, Naruto couldn't sense his siblings' chakra signatures anymore. Gritting his teeth, he knew that he had to put this to the side as there was one opponent that he still had to fight. Sensing his target, he rushed towards Konoha.

* * *

(Kushina)

Kushina had just finished killing three sound ninja with the help of Shizune at the hospital when she saw Sasuke Uchiha making his way with Suna's jinchuriki on his back. Running up to the boys, she kept her kunai on hand in case the red headed Suna ninja tried anything.

"Sasuke, are you okay? Where's Naruto? Is he okay?" Kushina asked in rapid succession. Sasuke nodded and handed Gaara off to Shizune before responding. "Yeah I'm good, just a little tired. You have to find Naruto. He was really tired and almost out of chakra the last time I saw him. He ran off saying that he had one last battle to fight. You have to find him because it won't be long until he drops" Sasuke said causing Kushina's eyes to widen. Without a word, she took off throughout the village as fast as she could before focusing her hardest to find her oldest son's chakra signature. When she found it, she used her chakra to go as fast as possible completely ignoring the other signatures that her son was approaching.

(Just outside of Konoha)

Minato was panting and barely standing, A had lost his left eye and was on the ground not moving, and Onoki was unconscious on the ground. Iliel however, had no scratches, marks, or signs of battle anywhere. Laughing loudly, the swordsman approached the Fourth Hokage as the sun started to set. "I'm a little disappointed with the effort. I knew that I was better than you, but I expected at least a little bit of a challenge. Oh well" Iliel said with a smile that made Minato grit his teeth.

Standing up and disregarding the pain that he was in, Minato held onto his last three pronged kunai tightly. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to destroy the Leaf?" he shouted angrily. Raising his sword in preparation of the strike that would end the Fourth's life, his smile grew wider. "Believe it or not I had nothing to do with the invasion. No, all I had to do was kill the three kage. Tsuranabi was the one who got the pathetic snake to do the invasion. As for why this is happening, why we are doing this? Peace by submission. You see, you and your companions are the reason that war, poverty, and death still exist in this world. When the kages are gone, the ninja world will fall into panic. That's when we will show the people of the world who their true saviors are. Not the kages, but the Shinigami's Blade. One voice, one opinion, no conflict, and eternal peace. Find solace Minato Namikaze in the fact that your death will be one that ushers in true peace" Iliel said. Just as he was about to bring his sword down on the blonde kage, his battle instincts alerted him and he jumped back quickly. When he landed, his eyes narrowed on a slightly familiar sword that now lay where he previously was.

"You talk a lot" said a voice from the forest nearby. Walking out of the trees, Naruto kept his gaze fixed on Iliel, the man who destroyed him in their duel. Making his way to his opponent he held out his arm after which his sword appeared in his hand. Turning to his father he spoke calmly but seriously. "Dad, take the Raikage and Tsuchikage back to the village. I'll take it from here" he said which made Minato's eyes go wide and Iliel smile. "No, absolutely not! You need to go back to Konoha and help out there son. This is my fight. As hokage I-" "ENOUGH" shouted Naruto interrupting his father. "Dad, I need you to trust me. I can't fight him while protecting you three at the same time so I need you to take them away. Trust me" Naruto said.

After staring at his son for a long moment, Minato recognized the look in his son's eyes. Nodding, he went over and grabbed the two kages struggling to hold them. Turning to his son one last time he said, "I believe in you son" before returning to the village with A and Onoki in hand.

Iliel looked at the boy that he had faced not so long ago. Deep down he admired the boy's courage. The boy knew that he could die but decided to fight on anyway. An admirable but fatal mistake. Raising his sword, he prepared for battle. "Well this is an unexpected surprise. I suppose that you are still upset at the result of our last spar" the swordsman said. Naruto held his large blade on his shoulder. The blonde boy smirked at his opponent. "I guarantee that the result will be incredibly different. Prepare yourself and try to give me a good challenge" Naruto said. Iliel frowned at the confidence that Naruto was exhibiting. "I don't see how. You're obviously exhausted and your chakra is almost completely depleted. The only outcome is your death" Iliel stated. Naruto chuckled. "Normally, you would be correct. Normally, I wouldn't be able to even swing my sword at this point. There is one key difference though if you'll look up at the sky for me" Naruto said.

Iliel did as the boy requested and tilted his head in confusion. All he saw was the moon. That's when the largest pulse of chakra he had ever felt exploded right in front of him. The Lunar Soldier had returned.

* * *

(Kushina)

Kushina was on her way to Naruto. She had picked up Jiraiya and Tsunade along the way who were going off to help out the kages. As they neared the gates, Kushina saw her husband quickly making his way with both the Raikage and Tsuchikage on his shoulders. Nearby Iwa and Kumo nin took their respective kages from Minato as the blonde fought to stay up. Running to her husband, Kushina threw herself at the man nearly toppling him over. After a quick embrace, Kushina addressed the main question in her mind. "Minato, where's Naruto?" she asked with teary eyes. At the question, Minato quickly righted himself and motioned for her and the two sannin to follow him through the gates. "We have to hurry, he's fighting the swordsman who took us down" Minato said making the other members of the group's eyes widen. Kushina responded first in a motherly fashion. "THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?! SO HELP ME KAMI THIS BETTER BE A JOKE MINATO!" she screamed as her hair went wild. Minato simply shook his head without responding. The group of four started to increase their pace after digesting Minato's information. Kushina who was next to her husband said quietly "If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive you Minato" as they continued running.

The four were on their way when a blur intercepted them. Before the group could attack, the blur landed in front of them revealing himself to be Sasuke. Kushina stepped forward angrily. "Sasuke what are you doing?" she asked. Sasuke gulped at the anger radiating off of the woman. "I can't let you join Naruto's fight. You'll only get in the way" he said looking at the ground. Jiraiya snorted. "Kid, we are the four strongest ninjas in Konoha. I think we can take him. Now go back home so that we can save the kid" Jiraiya responded. Sasuke shook his head. "I can't let you join in. He needs to be completely focused on his opponent, not on you four" he said raising his head and glaring at the toad sannin for suggesting that Naruto needed saving. Kushina was about to send Sasuke flying when she felt an explosion of chakra from Naruto's direction.

* * *

(Itachi)

Itachi was still in the chunin exams arena with his parents helping out any injured Konoha, Iwa, and Kumo nin as well as restraining the downed Suna and Sound nin despite most of them being dead. "Father, the last of the live enemies are restrained" Itachi said causing Fugaku to frown. "Honestly you should have just killed them instead" he said but was interrupted by his wife. "You did well Itachi" Mikoto said sweetly. Itachi nodded and prepared to take off into the village to help out and find his students when he felt the chakra explosion. Turning in the direction of the giant pulse, he crossed his arms. As everyone in the arena began to freak out, Itachi merely smiled a small smile. 'So you finally reveal yourself Naruto' he thought before heading off into the village.

* * *

(Konan)

Konan was with the chunin Iruka Umino, Yakumo, and the academy students. All of them were in the evacuation shelter and were starting to calm down. Konan had relayed to everyone that it seemed that almost all of the invaders had been dealt with which helped everyone greatly. The blue haired ninja was standing against a wall of the shelter when the chunin teacher approached her.

Iruka was nervous. He had no idea who the woman was but he had to thank her so quelling his nervousness, he approached her. "Thank you for the help. I don't think that we could have made it here without you" he said bowing slightly. Konan looked the chunin over. "It's not me you should thank but that girl over there. She is a brave fighter. Thank her when she wakes" she said to which Iruka nodded. That's when she felt it. A chakra explosion far greater than anything her sister could produce, but of the same essence as her sister's. Iruka blinked in shock and looked around before asking, "What is that?". Konan didn't reply, just simply left, quickly exiting the shelter and going off towards what she had been tracking all the way from Ame.

* * *

(Naruto and Iliel)

Naruto stood tall with chakra swirling around him. His sword had a mass of chakra surrounding it making it noticeably larger. His muscles seemed more defined and larger. But the biggest change came from his confidence. With a large grin, Naruto rolled his neck. "You shouldn't have shown me mercy back at Wave. Know that I won't make the same mistake' the blonde said before walking towards Iliel.

Iliel was shocked and a little scared. This wasn't the boy that he had fought in Wave. This wasn't the boy from a moment ago. This was something completely different. As Naruto approached him, he couldn't help but notice that the blonde exuded power he had never felt before, not even from his leader. Getting a grip on his newfound fear, he tightened his grip on his sword and rushed Naruto intending to end the fight before it could begin. Naruto smirked at the action and brought his sword down to block the attack. As the swords collided, Iliel struggled to gain any type of leverage as he pushed his sword with both hands as hard as possible. Naruto chuckled as he held back the man with one hand on his sword. Deciding that he had had enough, Naruto began to push back slightly causing Iliel's arms to shake. The power from both swords caused the ground below them to indent and continued to do so each time that Naruto pressed on. As Naruto held his sword in place with his right hand, he raised his left hand and landed a heavy punch to Iliel's shoulder knocking him to the ground.

As Iliel recovered from the blow that left his arm throbbing painfully, he looked at his opponent. Naruto stood with his sword on his shoulder and a smirk on his face. The blonde was allowing Iliel to recover instead of ending the fight then and there. Furious at the arrogance and cockiness of the boy he took advantage of Naruto letting his guard down by thrusting his sword quickly at the young swordsman. Naruto moved his head to the left to avoid Iliel's attack but did suffer a small cut on his right cheek. Putting a hand to the wound and seeing a small amount of blood when he removed it, Naruto chuckled. Faster than Iliel could react, Naruto slammed the flat of his blade onto the man's head knocking him on his back. Placing a chakra surrounded foot heavily on Iliel's chest, Naruto stood over the man sword in hand. "What did that accomplish?" Naruto asked. Iliel despite the pain of ribs cracking from Naruto's chakra enhanced weight smiled at the question. "Everything" the man whispered before reaching his hand and grabbing the blonde's foot. To Naruto's surprise, Iliel began to actually lift his foot off of him before letting out a chakra pulse that sent Naruto back a few feet.

Iliel got to his feet as Naruto stood wondering where the man's newfound strength came from. Iliel seeing Naruto's confusion explained with a smile. "I know what you're thinking. How did I get stronger just now? Well I didn't get stronger, you got weaker" Iliel said to an even more confused Naruto. "You see, that little cut I gave you was the only move I needed to turn the battle in my favor. Each member of the Shinigami's Blade has a special quality that makes them more unique than other run of the mill swordsman. Mine is that with one cut, I can cut your power in half" Iliel explained causing Naruto's eyes to grow wide. Clenching his teeth and gripping his blade tightly, Naruto returned to his battle stance. "Unfortunately for you, that still isn't enough to beat me Iliel" Naruto said before rushing towards Iliel as the man did the same. When the two blades met, sparks flew. Immediately after first contact, both Naruto and Iliel began to attack one another as quickly as possible. The first landed hit of their renewed battle came from Naruto as he slammed his sword heavily onto Iliel's causing him to lose his balance and then following up with a punch to the gut that sent Iliel back five feet. Raising his sword, Naruto shouted "Hammer Slash" before swinging the sword down and launching the hundreds of sword slashes at his opponent.

Iliel recovered from the punch he received quickly and brought his sword up to protect him from the multitude of slashes courtesy of Naruto. It took amazing effort to hold his sword strong against the boy's attack. When the attack ended, Iliel roughly stuck his sword into the ground. Looking at the boy that had gotten the better of him so far, he nearly screamed, "Whirlwind Barrage".

Naruto had just enough time to raise his blade before an actual whirlwind of sword slashes rose from the ground itself. Despite being protected from most of the sword strikes, Naruto still suffered five cuts, each of which cut his power in half. By the time Iliel's attack was over, Naruto couldn't even stand and was barely able to kneel. Panting and gasping for air, he never even noticed Iliel until the man was standing right in front of him. Iliel shook his head at the pathetic sight. An opponent who just moments ago made him fear for his life was now begging for air unable to even stand. "You fought well but this is where your story ends. I was told by my master not to kill you, but you're too much of a threat to our goal so I'm sure he'll understand. Find peace in the afterlife" Iliel said before raising his sword in preparation for the final blow.

Naruto couldn't believe it. How could he have let it come to this? Victory had been in his hands but he got arrogant and let what seemed to be his executioner get a small but critical blow on him. 'I'm sorry mom, dad, Itachi, Sasuke, and Yakumo. I just couldn't beat him' he thought trying to come to peace with his imminent death. His final contemplation was interrupted when the voice of an old friend rang throughout his head. 'Now is that any way to think? Get your ass up and beat this idiot' shouted the voice of his master. Sera. Her voice renewed his determination and belief in victory. Summoning everything he had and more the boy launched a heavy punch at Iliel's injured chest knocking the surprised man back about twenty feet until he hit a tree. Slowly standing up while his opponent was still trying to regain his bearings, Naruto held his sword in both hands. Closing his eyes, Naruto looked inside to find the strength to defeat Iliel. "Those who have held the burden of this great power I hold now, hear my prayer. Give me the power to defeat this man" Naruto begged quietly.

After Naruto's short plea, a warm presence was felt on his right shoulder. Opening his eyes and looking up, his jaw nearly dropped as standing there was none other than his blue haired master Sera. The woman smiled at him gently before motioning with her eyes for Naruto to look at his left side. When he turned his head, he was astounded to see nine others each wielding a different sword smiling back at him. Naruto immediately understood. They had answered his prayer. Feeling their strength, Naruto raised his sword and the ten other swordsmen followed. Chakra covered Naruto's sword greater than before as he focused on his opponent who was just now getting up. Naruto and the ten swordsmen raised the swords up before Naruto yelled "LEGACY SLASH" sending the attack of not only him but all of his predecessors as well towards Iliel.

Iliel had finally stood up. The punch from Naruto took him completely by surprise because his Whirlwind Barrage should have left Naruto completely devoid of all strength. Somehow though, the boy was able to channel enough power to send him flying. Now standing, he noticed that something was wrong. Naruto no longer stood alone. Instead of one opponent, he now faced eleven. As he went down the line of swordsmen standing with Naruto, he was shocked to his core to see Sera the "Aqua Knight" standing beside the blonde. That's when each of the swordsman raised their swords and swung. Knowing what was coming, Iliel raised his sword confident that he could still keep the attacks at bay. When the attacks ended, that's when he would put an end to the kid once and for all. Holding his sword, in front of him, the different attacks hit his sword hard and started to actually push him back. Feeling the power of Naruto's attack beginning to overwhelm him he pushed back which proved to be costly. After the push back, Naruto's multitude of attacks seemed to increase in power. Continually trying to hold back the attacks, Iliel never noticed separate cracks beginning to form along his sword. Eventually, Iliel's sword could take no more as the blade shattered and Naruto's attack kept coming.

When Naruto's Legacy Slash ended, the many swordsman on his side disappeared having fulfilled their purpose. The only ones on the battlefield now were an exhausted Naruto and an Iliel who was amazingly not shredded into nothing more than a pile of flesh. Iliel stood still with gashes littering his body. The silence between the two was broken when Iliel looked to the sky and screamed as black vein marks began to cover what was still visible of his body before erupting in an explosion of chakra and blood.

The explosion from Iliel's body was so great that it sent Naruto flying through the air. As Naruto flew, his eyes began to slowly close as he prepared for what was undoubtedly going to be a very painful landing. The painful landing never came as instead a three pronged kunai flew near the blonde genin. Not a second later, the kunai was replaced with the form of Naruto's father who caught his son and landed softly on the ground. Looking down at his son in pride, Minato simply said, "I'm proud of you son" to the now unconscious blonde. It wasn't long before a certain red headed Uzumaki arrived to see the state of her son with two of the sannin and Sasuke Uchiha in tow. All five examined Naruto before taking him back to Konoha to be treated at the hospital now that the invasion had been stopped. While they took off, Minato couldn't help but come to one conclusion of all of the events that had happened today.

The battle for the Leaf had been won, but the battle for the elemental nations had just begun.

* * *

(Konoha Hospital 4 Days Later)

Naruto had just woken up. He knew that he had won his fights but he was in an immense amount of pain. As he started to try to move, a quiet voice said "I wouldn't do that if I were you". Looking in the direction of the voice, he was met by his teacher Itachi. Slowly nodding but grimacing in pain, Naruto pressed the nurse's button that rested by his leg on the bed. Looking around, he noticed his mother and girlfriend sleeping in the two visitor chairs while Sasuke was asleep on the floor with drool trailing from his mouth. Turning to Itachi to ask what happened, he started to cough as he tried to speak. His coughs immediately woke up his mother, Yakumo, and Sasuke.

(Tsunade)

Tsunade had been taking a look at Naruto's injuries when she received the alert from his room. When she entered with Shizune behind her, she was met with the sight of Kushina and Yakumo sobbing and crying their eyes out while holding onto him for dear life while the Uchiha brothers stood off to the side watching the event take place. Turning to her assistant, she whispered "Shizune go and get Minato and be quick about it" to which Shizune nodded before performing the shunshin. Clearing her throat to make her presence known, she smiled at her now awake godson. "Well Naruto, you gave us quite a scare" she said before grabbing his chart. "I'll be brief since I know that you have some things to catch up on" she said to which Naruto nodded and the room quieted down for her analysis. "Naruto, your injuries when we got you here were pretty severe. You had fractures throughout both of your arms and legs, four broken ribs, a concussion, and a few cuts. Lucky for you, your godmother is the world's best medic" she said with a smirk trying to get a smile out of her estranged godson. It didn't work. "Anyway, I was able to heal the bones and cuts even though you will be sore for a couple of weeks at least from those injuries. Now onto the most serious injury. You nearly depleted the entirety of your chakra Naruto. Now normally, this would be a serious injury due to the potential of death, but for you it's much more severe" she said bringing frowns to everyone in the room's faces.

"Naruto, lately you have gone overboard in terms of using up chakra frequently. As a result, it is starting to overload your chakra system. I hate to say this but if you continue to overuse your chakra like you have been, not only will you lose your ability to form chakra, you could also die. It'll take some time for your chakra system to recover, no more than a couple of weeks. But Naruto, be careful from now on" she said sincerely before leaving.

Naruto didn't have long to reflect on what he had been told before his father flashed into the room with Jiraiya.

"Naruto how are you feeling" asked Minato immediately after arriving. Naruto held a thumbs up while behind Naruto, Jiraiya frowned. Sitting up, Naruto turned serious. "Dad, Menma and Narumi are gone" he said which caused everyone to look at the ground and Jiraiya to clench his fists. "I know son, some Suna or Sound ninja must have taken them during the invasion. I've been sending tracking teams constantly, but they can't pick up a trace. I'll be meeting with a Suna diplomat later to discuss the events that took place and where we go from here" he said which caused Naruto to shake his head. "Dad, they weren't taken. They left on their own after trying to kill me" Naruto revealed causing everyone's mouths to drop. "After Sasuke and I beat Gaara, I sent him back with Gaara. When I took off to go fight Iliel, Menma and Narumi ambushed me and started going off about how they're done with the Leaf village and even called themselves gods. I told them to go back home but they didn't listen so I kicked their asses. That's when this man appeared out of nowhere, took the two, and left" Naruto said.

"AND YOU JUST LET HIM?" shouted Jiraiya who was now visibly angry. "Jiraiya!" shouted Minato in response. Jiraiya brushed off his student. "I seriously doubt that you could beat those two brat. As a matter of fact, I'm willing to bet that you had a hand in them getting taken. With them gone, you would finally get the attention you deserved, right kid? Do you have any idea what we lost? Because of you, the entire ninja world could end! Are you happy now?" Jiraiya shouted as everyone in the room looked at the man as if he had gone insane. Naruto simply shook his head. "I'm done with you Jiraiya. You can hate me all you want but I don't want your approval or attention. Get out" Naruto said quietly. Jiraiya stood still for a moment before snorting and leaving the hospital room.

Shaking his head once again Naruto turned back to his father. "So what happens now?" Naruto asked which took a while to get a response as Minato tried to get over the shock of Jiraiya's words and accusations. Resolving to deal with it later, he sighed. "Well, I've told your teammates already that all three of you have been promoted to chunin not just because of your performance in the exams but how you handled the invasion which I'll go into greater detail later on. As a matter of fact, your team will be honored in a ceremony after everything's rebuilt for your actions in protecting the village so be ready for that" Minato said with a smile which got a smile and nod in response.

As Naruto smiled, he looked at his mother. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was disheveled. He knew that Menma and Narumi's departure had definitely been a heavy blow to her so he did what he thought would help her the most. "Mom, dad, I was hoping that after I get out of the hospital that maybe I could move back into the compound". The amount of joy that appeared on his parents faces couldn't be overstated as Kushina quickly grabbed her son into a bear hug and Minato joined in. All three cried as Yakumo, Sasuke, and Itachi watched with smiles. Eventually, everyone had to go but Naruto asked Yakumo to stay for a little bit.

Once everyone was gone, Naruto took Yakumo's hand in his and looked at his girlfriend. Her eyes watered quickly and she grabbed him and refused to let go as she started to cry more. Naruto didn't say a word, he just put his arms around her comforting her as best he could. When she stopped crying and let go of him, Naruto spoke. "Yakumo, I'm sorry that I keep putting you in this position. I'm sorry that I keep making you worry so much and I know how much it hurts you but I want you to know that no matter what I will always come back to you. No matter what happens, Ill come back to you. I love you Yakumo" Naruto said holding on to Yakumo's hand tightly. Yakumo teared up again and said "I love you too Naruto" before engulfing her boyfriend in another hug.

* * *

Hope everyone liked the chapter. I will be going into why the Shinigami's Blade came after the twins next chapter and also I don't think I actually announced the futures of team 11. Sasuke will get two new mentors in Itachi and good Orochimaru, Yakumo will get two mentors in Kushina and Konan, and Naruto will get mentors in Minato and the serpents. Thank you everyone for all the support I appreciate it immensely.


	19. A New Journey

PinkiePieParty122894: Glad that you liked the chapter and more beatings will come.

DxGRAYxMAN: Yeah it was a pretty popular request that the twins get their asses beat.

AnimeKing211: It will definitely take a while for Jiraiya to accept Naruto. Menma and Narumi definitely have the tyrant mentality.

Natzo: Sometimes people are to blind to see what's right in front of them. The kages will get stronger after their reality check with Iliel. Also Iliel was one of the weaker members and the others are just gonna get stronger.

New Elements92: Glad you are enjoying the story and yeah Jiraiya is a pretty big asshole so far.

Animaman: Konan will have a conversation with Jiraiya later on, but for the most part she will avoid him due to disappointment. The near death experience idea gave me a couple of ideas for the future. At this point Jiraiya is probably the only human that still cares about the prophecy.

Jasmine: Naruto will discover more about the Shinigami's Blade later and will pretty much learn their abilities on the spot.

zero fullbuster: Glad you loved it.

UnsanMusho: The question is will he open his eyes? He might or might not and if he does it will be in the near future chapters.

1995hzq: There is a lot of blindness in Jiraiya but he might open his eyes or he might not.

The Sith'ari: The two will definitely argue but for now they will work together. But power does change people, and too much power can make someone greedy for more.

Gammagyro: I liked the designs but decided to go with a different take on the scythe but gave Sasuke a double sided spear. Both will create moves based on their weapons. Naruto will mainly learn from Minato, the serpents, and his past swordsmen. Yakumo will become an interrogation type, Danzo will probably become more important later on, and I haven't actually given much thought to the Kurama clan but I will think about how to bring them back into the mix.

* * *

(Unknown Location)

Menma and Narumi were surrounded by the man who took them from Konoha, two men, and a woman. Being the audacious boy that he was, Menma stepped forward without even acknowledging the three other figures in the room. Instead, he focused his attention on the man who brought them here. "I want some answers now!" shouted Menma which caused two of the figures to scowl. The man who was addressed simply chuckled. "Very well, firstly my name is Tsuranabi and I am the leader of those you see here" he said with a smile. "We don't give a shit who you are, just tell us how you plan to help us kill Naruto" Menma said. Tsuranabi's grin vanished for a moment before returning a second later. "Ah yes, about that. I'm afraid that I have been quite dishonest with you. Unfortunately Naruto is not yours to kill. Though I did tell the truth when I said that you two would be looked upon as gods" he stated.

Both Menma and Narumi scowled at Tsuranabi's words. "If he's not ours to kill, then who gets to kill him?" Narumi asked angrily. Tsuranabi smiled at the question. "Me" he answered before explaining further. "Each member of the Shinigami's Blade has a special quality that makes them far greater than the average warrior. My ability is that when I kill someone, all of their strength is absorbed by me. To complete my goal, I must kill Naruto when he has reached his most powerful. Once I absorb the strength of a swordsman of his caliber who has reached his full potential, there will be no one to defy me. That's why I didn't kill him in the forest and why I must be the one to vanquish the boy" he explained.

Menma crossed his arms reluctant to give up his goal since the return of his brother but Narumi asked a question that had been on her mind and secretly Menma's mind as well. "Why did you take us away from Konoha?" she asked which caused Tsuranabi to actually chuckle. "The two of you are far more important than anyone could comprehend. Both of you are jinchuriki and both of you hold the most powerful biju currently alive. With your assistance, a weapon known simply as a biju weapon will be crafted for each of you. Each weapon will contain the essence of the nine tailed fox. Only a biju's jinchuriki can wield a weapon created from it's essence which is where the two of you come in. After your weapons have been crafted, we will instruct you in the ways of the sword in order to make you into valuable assets for the Shinigami's Blade" Tsuranabi finished.

Menma's eyes had widened imagining how powerful he would become but Narumi remained skeptical. "How do you know all this?" asked Narumi with a raised eyebrow. Tsuranabi outstretched his arm and a large black sword with a silver handle and three silver stripes on the blade appeared in his hand. "I know because I wield the first biju blade ever made. A blade crafted from a biju created not by Hagoromo Otsutsuki but by his mother Kaguya. For I am not only the holder of the first biju weapon, but I am also the fifth jinchuriki of the ten tailed beast."

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his office reading over recent reports on the village while reflecting on the events of the past two weeks. The Raikage, Tsuchikage, and their guests had left after being healed by Tsunade. Not much was said between Minato, Onoki, and A after their humiliating defeat at the hands of one man. Minato had filled them in on what Iliel had told him and who had killed the man that was too powerful for three kages. There wasn't much of a response from A and Onoki other than complete and utter shock. They both left Konoha deep in thought about recent events. Speaking of recent events, he continued to deal with the mess of the invasion from Suna and Oto. In order to apologize and in hopes of keeping the alliance, Suna offered to pay for the reparations on a payment plan. Minato was too tired to lead an assault of Suna at the moment so he agreed and sent the terms to Suna to which they quickly agreed.

Sighing, Minato put a hand on his head. He kept trying to ignore the most troubling issue at hand. Menma and Narumi were gone. Once again his failures as a father had caught up to him. His son and daughter had left Konoha. He had sent tracking team after tracking team to search for them but it was as if they had simply vanished into nothing. Put in a horrible position, the blonde hokage had no choice but to put his own son and daughter into the Bingo Book. It hurt his heart to do so as it did Kushina's as well but they knew from what Naruto had said that the two had taken a side. People like Tsunade, Kakashi, Itachi, and the newly released Orochimaru understood his decision and were sympathetic to how difficult of a choice it must have been. His teacher Jiraiya on the other hand was furious over what he perceived as his student giving up on his children. The Toad Sannin had left Konoha to search for Menma and Narumi for now.

Minato looked up when a knock at his door sounded. "Come in" said Minato. After gaining permission, the door opened and in walked the Snake Sannin Orochimaru. A week after the failed invasion, Minato gathered everyone into the center of the village where he explained why Orochimaru had committed such heinous crimes towards Konoha. Apparently, Orochimaru had received a mission from Hiruzen Sarutobi while he was still Hokage. The mission was to investigate a group now known as the Shinigami's Blade. Unfortunately for everyone, a member of the group was able to take control of Orochimaru and force him to commit the crimes that made him Konoha's public enemy number one. After hours of explanations, the village eventually became convinced but still were suspicious of the man.

"Minato, Kushina sent me to tell you that it's time to address Team 11" Orochimaru announced, Minato nodded his head and held out his arm for the Sannin to grab before flashing to the Namikaze Compound.

* * *

(Namikaze Compound)

Naruto sat on the couch with Yakumo sitting next to him and Sasuke across from him in a chair. Kushina stood talking with Mikoto while Itachi and Fugaku both stood silently. Kakashi stood in a corner reading Icha Icha Paradise while Tsunade and Shizune each sat in a chair without a word. There wasn't much excitement going on until a flash appeared in the center of the room revealing Minato and Orochimaru.

"Hello everyone" Minato said with a smile before getting a fist to the head from his lovely wife. "Minato, how many times have I told you no using the hiraishin in the house?!" Kushina yelled. Minato slowly got up and rubbed his head. "Point taken Kushina. Now let's get to why I've asked you all here. As all of you know, these three remarkable ninja have reached the rank of chunin" Minato said motioning towards Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke who all smiled in response. "As chunin, your responsibilities will increase but it will be some time before you three will be allowed to take missions" announced the blonde which gained confused looks from Naruto, Sasuke, Yakumo, Mikoto, Fugaku, and Shizune. "Due to recent revelations, I feel that it is best if the three of you focus on getting stronger as fast as possible. I won't sugarcoat the circumstances behind this. There is a group of swordsmen out there, each with the power to take on every kage at once with ease. They have a twisted goal of world domination disguised as an attempt at world peace. The three of you have the most potential of any three ninja in Konoha history. We must make sure that you reach that potential" Minato finished leaving the entire room except for Naruto in shock.

"As of now, each of you will receive your own teachers that will focus solely on making you as strong as possible" Minato said before motioning towards Itachi who stepped forward. "Sasuke, I will teach you and help you master different styles of ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, and the sharingan" Itachi said making Sasuke's eyes go wide at the thought of becoming a swordsman like his teammate and best friend. "I have asked for assistance from Orochimaru who will help in terms of ninjutsu and kenjutsu. I am skilled in kenjutsu from my time in ANBU but Orochimaru is better" Itachi said as Orochimaru walked to Itachi and stood next to him. "I look forward to teaching you kenjutsu. It is truly lucky that that man Iliel still had the Kusanagi on him when he died" Orochimaru noted. Sasuke nodded at the information while Mikoto felt uneasy about the Snake Sannin and Fugaku eyed him suspiciously.

Kushina stepped forward after Itachi and Orochimaru were done. "Yakumo, your genjutsu are some of the most potent and lethal that I have witnessed. You will continue training your genjutsu skills as you have been but in the meantime, you will master your taijutsu style, build up your reserves, and then we will build up an arsenal of ninjutsu to go along with your other skills. Not to mention that I will also teach you how to wield a weapon, all we have to do is find which one fits you best. And finally, I'll make you a master of fuinjutsu or my name isn't Kushina Uzumaki!" she said with a smile. "Oh, I almost forgot. You can come out now" Kushina yelled towards the kitchen.

A woman with blue hair wearing a black kimono walked out of kitchen after being called. As she entered the room, Naruto's jaw dropped straight to the ground. It was as if he was seeing his master once again. As he stared at the woman, he noticed a small and subtle shake of her head signifying that their conversation would have to wait. The blue haired woman finally stood at her place next to Kushina. "Greetings, my name is Konan. I am formally of Ame and also happen to be the one who brought you to the shelter during the invasion. Despite having my own personal reasons for being here, I have spoken with Kushina here and have agreed to assist in teaching you. You are a genjutsu specialist which means that you require a fair amount of concentration to cast them. I know multiple jutsu that can give you time to cast your genjutsu, some of which include my own personal paper jutsu" Konan said without emotion. Yakumo on the other hand had stars in her eyes but had the composure to keep from squealing in glee.

Finally, Minato stepped forward. "Naruto, when I trained you for the chunin exams, I saw in you someone that would surpass me. We will train together and grow stronger together. You will learn the art of fuinjutsu, improve on your taijutsu, and improve upon your ninjutsu. You will also learn the move that made me famous. I will teach you the hiraishin and together we'll take down this Shinigami's Blade" Minato said smiling a confident smile which was met with a smile from his son.

Sasuke stood up quickly, unable to hold in his anticipation any longer. "When do we begin?!" he practically shouted causing everyone to chuckle. "For you and Yakumo, immediately. Unfortunately for Naruto, he has a few more days until he can begin training" said Minato with Tsunade nodding happy that for once a ninja was going to take her advice about resting. "However, maybe if he's feeling better we can start a little early" the blonde hokage said causing a tick mark to develop on Tsunade's head. Clenching her fist, the medic jumped after her leader. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone could you, you stupid blonde brat?! Get back here!" Tsunade shouted to a fleeing Minato causing everyone to laugh.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Minato had informed Naruto, Sasuke, and Yakumo of the change in instructors. Now, Yakumo stood across from her teachers while Naruto sat watching nearby. The brunette had spent nearly an hour trying out different types of weapons from swords to spears. Both Yakumo and Kushina were becoming frustrated that nothing seemed to fit but Konan looked on in thought as the girl was now trying out a bo staff.

"Ugh, it just doesn't feel right" Yakumo said loudly causing Kushina to frown and Konan to step forward. "Yakumo, spread out your arms" said Konan to which Yakumo quickly obeyed. After a moment of observation, Konan pulled back the sleeve of her kimono revealing a seal on her arm. Closing her eyes, the blue haired woman applied chakra to the seal which resulted in a poof of smoke. When the smoke subsided, Konan held a long and elegant scythe. The silver blade was sharp and shined so brightly in the sun that it almost seemed as if it was glowing and curved sharply at the end. Engraved in the blade was a line of roses with thorns guarding each flower. The blade was held by a black handle that stretched at least five feet in length with the blade about half that length. Konan held out the beautiful scythe to Yakumo who carefully took it into her hands. Giving it a couple of swings first with both of her hands and then with only one hand, she looked at Konan and smiled. "It feels right" she said quietly to which Konan nodded.

"Yakumo, that scythe was given to me when I was just a child" she said getting looks of confusion from everyone including Naruto who had joined the group in examining the weapon. "When I was a child, a man came to Ame. My sister and I noticed that he carried an impressive looking sword" Konan said glancing at Naruto before returning to her story. "Our family was poor so we saw an opportunity to make some money if we were to steal his sword and sell it afterwards. We waited for the man to stop by a dango stand for food where I created the distraction of spilling my drink on him while my sister took the sword from where he had laid it. After I saw that she had the sword, I ran off and met up with her near our home. We believed that we were in the clear until the man appeared from nothing. I thought that he would punish us but instead he just asked for our names and if we liked the sword" she said as she reminisced about her past.

(Flashback)

Konan eyed the man in front of her suspiciously while her sister held onto the sword. "Well, do you like the sword?" the man asked with a smile. Konan's sister quickly nodded her head but she wasn't impressed. "I don't like swords" she said to which the man chuckled. "Well then, perhaps I can fix that" the man said before holding his hand out. Appearing from thin air was a large scythe with a flower design on the blade. "Perhaps this is more to your liking?" he said before holding out the weapon to Konan.

The blue haired girl was transfixed by the weapon. When she took the weapon into her hands, it felt natural despite the fact that it was bigger than she was. The man continued smiling. "It'll take some growing into but it will serve you well" he said before looking at Konan's sister. "You on the other hand seem to respond to that sword the same way I did so long ago" he said before looking at her in thought. "Could you take me to your parents? There is something I must speak with them about" the man asked to which Konan simply nodded feeling no ill intent from the man.

(Konan's Family's House 2 Hours Later)

Konan sat holding her scythe while her sister continued to examine the man's sword in their room. The two looked up when the man and their parents entered their room.

(Flashback End)

"The man who gave me that scythe took my sister as an apprentice that day and I didn't see her again for years. I kept the scythe with me but I never felt the need to use it" Konan said looking at the ground.

"What was your sister's name" asked Naruto causing Konan to look at him. "You already know her name Naruto. Sera, the swordsman before you, your teacher, and my sister" she said with a sad smile. She was taken by surprise when the blonde grabbed her into a hug almost as if he knew the pain she felt at knowing that Sera was no longer alive. It felt nice to know that she was no longer alone in this world.

* * *

(Uchiha Estate)

Sasuke stood in his backyard watching the Snake Sannin closely.

"I understand your suspicions, but I assure you that my goal is not to hurt you but to assist you in reaching your full potential" Orochimaru said looking directly at Sasuke. The Uchiha had been there when the Hokage announced the circumstances surrounding Orochimaru but kept his guard up just in case. Nodding reluctantly, Sasuke crossed his arms waiting on his brother.

When Itachi returned, the yard was silent. Walking slowly to Sasuke, Itachi held a long metal spear in his hand. The handle was black with the red and white symbol of the Uchiha clan engraved into it. There was a large silver blade on each end of the spear. It was simple but elegant and especially to Sasuke's liking. Nearly drooling at the idea of wielding the spear in combat and beating Naruto head to head with it almost caused him to run at Itachi and take the weapon. Luckily, Sasuke had enough self control to wait until Itachi spoke.

"Sasuke, this weapon is one of great power that has yet to be realized. Our clan does not typically use weapons much less spears, but something tells me that you will do this weapon justice" Itachi said handing the double bladed spear to his younger brother. Taking it gently into his hands, Sasuke examined the weapon before looking back at his brother. "Why didn't you or anyone else in the clan take it?" Sasuke asked. Itachi frowned at the question. "Sasuke, I will be blunt. Over the years, our clan has become arrogant and far too comfortable with the idea that the sharingan will win every battle. To the others, the sharingan is their weapon. I tell you now that the sharingan is simply a tool to assist you in the aspects of being a great ninja. Use your sharingan, but use it to enhance your heightened abilities. Don't rely on it as your primary weapon for there will be a day when the sharingan becomes useless" Itachi said looking at the sky. "Sasuke, you will be the one to end this cycle of arrogance and pride in the Uchiha clan. With this weapon, you will show our clan that the sharingan is not the only means of victory. The Uchiha's fate rest in your hands brother" Itachi said looking down at his brother who was wide eyed in shock.

After regaining his bearings, Sasuke simply nodded, unable to form words quite yet. "Now Sasuke, we have a long way to go. Whattya say to starting right now?" asked Itachi to which Sasuke responded by raising his spear and smirking. Itachi and Orochimaru both smiled. "To use your spear to it's fullest extent, we will teach you both bojutsu and kenjutsu. Prepare to work harder than you have in your entire life Sasuke" Itachi warned to which Sasuke nodded.

* * *

(4 Days later Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his office nursing a migraine from a council meeting that had just wrapped up. The council was up in arms about taking action against Suna but Minato had to remind them that Suna was making reparations according to a written agreement between the two nations. He also had to remind them that both Suna and Sound were following their kage's orders which was one of the key qualities in a shinobi. That's when the elder Danzo made his play. The old man argued that if Minato couldn't protect the village from the likes of one man, then how could he lead them against an entire enemy village. Before Minato could respond to the accusation, Shikaku Nara spoke up asking the council if there was anyone stronger than Minato in Konoha. That shut the Danzo supporters up quick.

The blonde kage rubbed his head. He felt like he had aged forty years in the past couple of weeks. Looking up at the picture of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he couldn't help but wonder how the old man had done it for so long. Another point of Danzo's was that Minato had let the village jinchuriki be taken away, an accusation that caused Minato to momentarily lose his cool and grab the old man by the throat explaining that they were his children and that he was doing everything he could at the moment to get them back. Looking at the ceiling, Minato thought about Kushina. He knew that she had taken it harder than anyone but hid it by working heavily with Yakumo. He continued to think of his situation until a knocking sound interrupted his thoughts. Sitting up in his chair he announced "Come in".

Naruto entered the office noticing the messiness of the room. His father had his hands full lately, that was for sure. Approaching his father's desk, Naruto relaxed. "Hey dad, I was wondering if you were ready to start our training" Naruto asked with a glint of hope in his eyes. Minato smiled and nodded before standing and grabbing his son's shoulder. Before Naruto could react, the two flashed out of the room.

(Namikaze Compound Backyard)

The two blondes flashed into the backyard of the compound. Naruto at first didn't react, but eventually took a few wobbly steps forwards. Minato chuckled at the sight. "You better get used to the effects if you plan on using it in battle son" said Minato with a grin. Naruto let out a small growl of annoyance as he gained his footing. "So I suppose we should make a schedule for when we can train together" Minato said which caused Naruto to look up quickly. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Naruto said before biting his thumb and doing a series of quick handsigns. Moments later, a wave of mist rolled through the entire yard as a serpent rose from the mist itself. The serpent was about twice the size of Minato and very intimidating. "Levios, concealing your size I see" Naruto said making Minato look at his son in confusion at how he knew this serpent. The serpent turned to Naruto and almost seemed to smile at the blonde boy. "Yes Naruto, I do believe that revealing my true size would cause quite a panic throughout the village" the serpent said. "I heard that you called my father to fight a biju instead of me. While I understand your reasoning, I would've hoped that you trusted me more" Levios said causing Naruto to speak up quickly.

"Levios I'm sorry that I didn't call you then, but that's why I wanted you here today. Starting today I will begin a long training session with my father and I want to include training between the two of us. In two years, we'll be the best partners that there ever were" Naruto said with a smile which slowly but steadily spread to Levios as well. After their short conversation, the two turned to Minato. "Dad, I know that you have your Hokage duties and can't train me everyday, so Levios and I can train on the days that you can't. Sound fair?" Naruto asked to which Minato nodded with a smile. After the agreement, Naruto introduced Levios to Minato and the three began to create a training schedule. Together Naruto, Minato, and Levios would grow stronger than ever before.

(Unknown Location)

Menma and Narumi both kneeled on the ground panting heavily. When the two eventually got up, Tsuranabi stood in front of them. "The two of you have proven your dedication. As I promised, here are your biju weapons. The catalysts of your glory" Tsuranabi said motioning to an altar behind him. Menma and Narumi slowly moved towards the altar and their eyes widened. On the altar were two large curved blades. One's blade was completely red, while the other's was completely black. The handles were both silver with nine small tails surrounding the handle. The most distinct feature about each sword though was the large amount of red chakra surrounding the blade itself. The Uzumaki children looked at each other before reaching for the swords. Menma too the black sword while Narumi took the red. "Welcome to the Shinigami's Blade" spoke Tsuranabi causing the two to turn around.

"Sashira, come" Tsuranabi called out. A second later, a woman with white hair tied in a single long braid appeared beside the man. "What is it you need my master?" asked the woman. "Take these two to their rooms. Tomorrow they begin their training" Tsuranabi ordered.

When the three had left, Tsuranabi began to chuckle. His chuckle eventually turned into loud laughter. "Soon my goal will be complete. I will be this world's savior whether it wants me or not. The world wants peace, then I will bring them peace. Peace by submission" Tsuranabi said before laughing again.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, first off I want to thank you all for the support. It really means a lot to me that people are reading and enjoying the story so far and I hope that I continue to entertain. I'm still deciding on whether I will do a time skip into the next arc with flashbacks of training. I'm not sure but I'm leaning towards that. Anyway, the next major arc is the civil war in Kiri. One last thing, REVIEW! I've gotten a lot of great ideas and input from the reviews that has kept the story going. Well, see you next chapter!


	20. Fruits of Hard Labor

Wolven Phoenix: I'm really glad that you're enjoying it. As for Leviathan, I wish I could say that it had an origin that cool but the idea came from wanting to as fierce of a creature as possible for Naruto's summon and at the time I kind of had a flashback to a monster named Leviathan in the Bible. I'm not really that religious but it just sorta clicked I guess. Not the best origin for the idea but it is what it is. Also in my opinion the name's pretty cool.

PinkiePieParty122894: Yup, Jiraiya will get a reality check eventually. How he will react to his reality check is to be determined.

Animaman: It's definitely possible for the twins to turn on the Shinigami's Blade, but Tsuranabi is there to keep them in check. I will be graduall giving the toads a little more time in the story and they actually pretty much discover who he really is this chapter. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on who you ask, the entirety of the Akatsuki were killed by the Shinigami's Blade because they were an obstacle. Danzo will eventually start keeping an eye on Naruto and might try to get a hold of his sword. I think that I will have the contemplations of Minato and Kushina during the Kiri arc and Tsunade had a similar mindset as Jiraiya's just not near as radical.

Zero fullbuster: I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter and hope that you enjoy this one as well.

* * *

(Namikaze Compound)

Naruto was in his room preparing to meditate while thinking about the training that he had been undergoing for the past six months. It had been difficult and his father was not an easy teacher, but the results more than made up for it. He had become stronger, faster, and smarter. He had started sealing and found himself to have a natural talent for it and had even started to learn the hiraishin. He had been splitting time with his father and the serpents. With his father, he focused on taijutsu and sealing. When he was with the serpents, he focused on ninjutsu, mostly water and lightning jutsu. He practiced his swordsmanship and created new moves on his own time. At the moment, he was trying to calm his mind in hopes that it would help out his training. Closing his eyes, Naruto began to meditate.

(Naruto's Mindscape)

Naruto sat in nothingness. Surrounded by light, he simply stared forward.

"How's my favorite little apprentice" said the voice of Naruto's master before materializing next to him. For a while, Naruto didn't respond, he simply continued to look ahead. "Sera, why did you choose me?" Naruto asked breaking his silence. Sera looked at the blonde with a raised eyebrow. "Of all the people in the elemental nations, you chose a kid running away from home. Why?" he asked now looking at his blue haired teacher for an answer. Sera looked into his eyes as if she were looking for something before answering. "Would you believe me if I said that you were a convenient pick at the time?" she asked with a smile but got a deadpan look from her apprentice in response. Sera sighed. "Naruto, when I saw you, I saw pain. I saw someone who needed a purpose. I also saw strength and courage. You witnessed me kill bandits right in front of you and your reaction wasn't to scream or throw up. You asked me to train you. That's when I saw why you wanted to be stronger, why you wanted me to train you. You wanted the power to control your own destiny and show that you could be great too. A dream I knew all too well" she said putting her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"I saw good in your heart and the potential to be great Naruto. So far, you haven't let me down" Sera said with a proud smile before looking forward. "Your journey is going to be hard and filled with adversity. You face warriors of unimaginable strength who want nothing more than to see this world at their fingertips" Sera said turning back to her student. "For all their strength, the kages will not win this. It will be up to you Naruto. You are too young to have such a burden on your shoulders, but I wouldn't have marked you as my successor if I thought you couldn't handle it" she said with a small smile. Naruto smiled back at her. Both smiling, the two stood up and faced each other.

"So, are you ready to become a legendary swordsman?" Sera asked gaining a nod from Naruto in return. Sera whistled loudly and nine other swordsmen, the same that Naruto saw when he performed his Legacy Slash, appeared next to Sera. "You've got ten of the greatest swordsmen in history at your disposal Naruto. It's time to add you into the mix" Sera said as all ten of the swordsmen in front of Naruto summoned their swords to their hands and entered their battle stances. Naruto smiled widely before stretching out his arm and summoning his sword. Holding his blade tightly, Naruto rushed at the ten swordsmen.

* * *

(Yakumo's House)

Yakumo was in her backyard practicing with her scythe when her parents, Murakumo and Uroko came out. Yakumo's mother looked at the ground while her father had his arms crossed and looked at his daughter angrily. "Yakumo what do you think you're doing?" the man asked. Yakumo stopped swinging her scythe and rested it on her shoulder similiar to how Naruto rested his sword on his shoulder. "I'm practicing dad. Kushina sensei and Konan sensei told me to practice with my scythe everyday" she said before going back to her exercises.

Apparently Yakumo's answer was not satisfactory to her father. "Yakumo, you should be practicing your genjutsu not wasting your time with weapons" the man said which caused Yakumo to shake her head. "I've been keeping up with my genjutsu but it would be better for me to be more well rounded. Kushina sensei and Konan sensei have been teaching me ninjutsu as well" Yakumo answered which got a shocked look from her parents. "Yakumo, our clan has always been genjutsu specialists. We don't use ninjutsu much less regular weapons" Yakumo's father argued. Yakumo sighed. "Dad, it's that attitude that has kept the Kurama clan from being recognized as a prominent clan of Konoha. We are one of the most skilled clans at genjutsu but we don't focus on anything else. Look at the Uchiha. They are able to make genjutsu on par with ours due to the sharingan but also focus on ninjutsu and taijutsu as well. Focusing solely on one area can get you killed out there and I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I'm going to Naruto's house. Maybe Kushina sensei will teach me some ninjutsu" she said walking past her parents. Yakumo's father was frowning while Yakumo's mother had a small smile on her face.

Yakumo's father sighed and put a hand on his head. "Maybe I'm being too hard on her. I don't want her out there in danger. I was hoping that she would put her genjutsu to use and work at the T and I department where she would be safe in the village. I only want her to be safe" Murakumo said looking at the ground. Uroko lifted her husband's face up to meet her's. "Murakumo, your only crime is being a caring father. I know that you want her to be safe, but you have to let her follow her own path. Besides from what I understand, she's in good company. Her teacher is the strongest kunoitchi in the village, she's personal friends with the Uchiha heir, and not to mention she's dating the boy who defeated a man that nearly killed three kages. I think she'll be okay" Uroko said with a gentle smile. Her husband nodded at his wife's wisdom before looking up quickly. "DATING!? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? WHERE IS HE?" Murakumo asked in rapid succession. Uroko chuckled at her husband's fatherly response.

* * *

(Uchiha Estate)

Sasuke rushed at Orochimaru with one blade of his spear engulfed in flames while the other was covered in electricity. Making a quick jab with his weapon, Sasuke jumped backwards after the jab was blocked by Orochimaru's Kusanagi. Throwing his spear into the air, Sasuke did a few quick handsigns before shouting "Lightning Rain" causing large sparks of electricity to rain down from the spear towards Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin barely avoided the strikes by jumping back continuously as the sparks had locked onto his chakra signature. When the lightning stopped, he looked up to see Sasuke in midair holding his spear preparing to throw the weapon at him.

As Sasuke launched his weapon, the spear was engulfed in flames as it flew at Orochimaru. The Sannin recognizing the danger of the attack quickly used the substitution jutsu with a log which was subsequently impaled by the spear. After being impaled, the log quickly erupted in flames. Sasuke landed quickly and grabbed his spear just in time to dodge Orochimaru. The man stood across from Sasuke smiling before looking at Itachi who was watching the whole thing at a distance. "Itachi, I believe both of you would benefit if you stepped in" the Sannin said before backing away.

Without a word, Itachi entered the battle area and got into the Uchiha Interceptor stance. Sasuke stabbed his spear into the ground and got into the same stance as his brother. Both activated their three tomoe sharingan before rushing at each other. Sasuke attacked quickly while avoiding his brother's strikes. Dodging a right hook by jumping sideways, Sasuke immediately launched a left handed punch at his brother's face only to hit nothing but air. Landing on one foot, Sasuke quickly did a back flip avoiding a kick to the back and launched two kunai at his attacker while still in mid flip. Itachi jumped to the side to dodge the kunai while Sasuke flipped away until he had gained some distance between he and his brother. When Sasuke had reached an appropriate distance, he shouted "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" and launched a series of fireballs at his brother. Itachi dodged each fireball before his instincts went off making him jump up. "Electromagnetic Field" shouted Sasuke causing the field to pulse electricity covering the entire training ground. Even Orochimaru had jumped up into a nearby tree.

Itachi smirked. His brother had come far in his training. When the lightning jutsu ended, Itachi launched himself at Sasuke from a tree that he had landed in. Sasuke was too tired to avoid Itachi as the eldest Uchiha landed in front of him with a kunai to his throat. "You did well Sasuke. Pretty soon, I wouldn't be surprised if you beat me" Itachi said with a smile. His smile faded when Sasuke looked up at him with a smile of his own. "Who said this fight was over?" asked Sasuke before exploding into a black tar that covered Itachi blinding him and constricting his movements. He had been caught in his younger brother's genjutsu. By the time Itachi broke the genjutsu, Sasuke was behind him with a kunai digging into the back of his neck. "Looks like I win Itachi" said Sasuke with a smirk. Itachi chuckled. "You've definitely improved Sasuke" Itachi said before bursting into an explosion of black crow feathers. "But you've still got a ways to go" Itachi said now behind his younger brother with a kunai now at his throat.

* * *

(Private Hokage Training Ground)

Naruto and Minato were currently punching and kicking at each other so quickly that it would be hard pressed for a chunin to see their attacks. The constant attacks ended when both blondes landed a punch to one another's jaw knocking each other backwards. Minato pulled out two three pronged kunai with a smirk while Naruto smirked right back at him. Concentrating his chakra, Naruto raised both of his arms pulling water from the air around him until it formed to make a large wave behind him. Placing his hand into the wave, Naruto released a fair amount of lightning chakra which spread quickly throughout the wave. "Voltage Wave" Naruto shouted before sending the wave speeding at his father. As the wave came closer, it began to pick up speed as well. Making a split decision, Minato threw one of his three pronged kunai up and flashed to it while looking at the result of the jutsu. His loss of focus proved to be costly as he barely noticed a kunai fly right by him. In an instant, his son flashed behind him and launched a chakra enhanced punch to the man's back knocking him into the ground.

When Naruto landed on the ground, he waited for the dust from the impact to clear before noticing a log in place of what should be his father. Quickly jumping backwards, he avoided a punch from his father. As the two looked at each other, they both had the same thought. It was time to finish this. At the same time, both blondes outstretched their arms. Both formed a regular rasengan and rushed at one another. When they were close enough, their rasengans collided. Each one pushed their rasengan with all of their might, but in the end the Hokage won as his rasengan overpowered his son's and knocked him onto the ground.

Crossing his arms and smiling, Minato watched as his son slowly got up. "Wow Naruto, you've really improved. You've come so far in using the hiraishin and in your taijutsu. It's good that you're learning not to rely on your sword. I'm proud of you son" Minato said which gained a smile from Naruto. "Thanks dad. I've still got a while before the hiraishin is battle ready but it's going better than I had expected. I've also been working on my sealing but I think I'll keep that a surprise" he said getting a nod from his father. "Well, I gotta go meet up with Levios so I'll be back soon. Tell mom and Yakumo I said bye" he said. Minato nodded. "I will son, give Levios my regards" Minato said before Naruto eventually disappeared into a wave of mist signifying that he had left for the realm of the serpents.

* * *

(Namikaze Compound)

Yakumo came at Kushina with her scythe as it clashed against her red headed teacher's sword. The two battled back and forth with their weapons before Yakumo forced Kushina backwards with a large swipe of her scythe. Taking the opportunity of having her distance, Yakumo began to spin her scythe in her hand quickly before dashing at her teacher. Still spinning her weapon, Yakumo forced Kushina to stay on guard as she had to block every slash from the scythe which were coming in rapid succession of one another. When Yakumo's blade finally stopped spinning, Kushina lunged at her student aiming for a non-vital area. At the moment of impact, Yakumo collapsed into hundreds of pieces of paper scattered throughout the backyard. Looking around, Kushina tried to sense her student but her sensor abilities never got the chance to activate as Yakumo appeared from a piece of paper behind the red head. Without hesitation, the brunette swung her scythe only for it to be blocked by one of Kushina's chakra chains. Multiple others began to form afterwards and wrapped the girl up to a point where she could no longer move. Kushina had won.

When Yakumo was let out of her confinement, she stood up and faced her teacher. Kushina looked at Yakumo for a moment before commenting on her progress. "I see that you have been working on your sealing and paper ninjutsu. I must say that I'm impressed and if Konan were here today then she would be as well" Kushina said making Yakumo smile. "But, you are too impatient. Instead of attacking so quickly when you were hidden in the paper, you should have waited for the right moment to strike. Don't get too down about it because I was just like you when I was your age. Just be aware that there is a time and a place for everything" she advised which gained a nod from Yakumo.

"Where is Konan sensei?" asked Yakumo. Kushina sighed. "Konan is over in Kiri assessing the situation over there. The civil war is starting to cause problems for the elemental nations and if we're going to beat the Shinigami's Blade then it will take all of the ninja villages. Konan is checking how the rebels are fairing and will report on what they need us to do" she said to which Yakumo nodded in understanding.

Once Kushina returned inside, Yakumo sat on the ground resting. She had come a long way since becoming a genin. Not just as a ninja but as a person. She and Naruto were going steady and their relationship was as strong as ever though she had not told her parents about him yet. Definitely on her to do list. Ever since the invasion, she and Naruto had become more affectionate towards each other. Not too affectionate seeing as they were too young to go to far, but the two had regular make out sessions when the opportunity arose. As time had passed, she had started to see Kushina as a second mother which would become a reality in the years to come if she had anything to do about it. Just like " _Mei Terumi's Guide to Lasting Relationships_ " said, "When you find your man, make sure to make him yours". On more than one occasion Yakumo had to scare away some harpy trying to get their claws on her man. Let's just say that each attempt resulted in about a month of gruesome nightmares for each girl who went after her Naruto.

Sighing happily, she felt truly content with her life right now. She was regarded as one of the most fearsome genjtsu users in all of Konoha, soon she would make herself know as one of the best weapon users in Konoha, and her sealing and ninjutsu were increasing at a fast pace. On top of all that, she was in love. Things were perfect for her right now.

* * *

(Realm of the Serpents)

Naruto sat in front of Levios who was at his full size at the moment. "Naruto, it is about time that we learn to truly work in tandem. I have taught you a few jutsu, but we have yet to train in combining our abilities. It is imperative that we train in our teamwork if we are ever to form into one" Levios said. Naruto nodded at Levios' conclusion. "I look forward to it Levios. I'm actually pretty excited about it as well. I'm ready to work towards becoming a worthy partner for you" Naruto said with a smile which spread to Levios.

"Well then my friend, let's begin" said the serpent.

* * *

(Unknown Location)

Tsuranabi watched as the two holders of the Kyubi biju weapons battled against the third swordsman Karasala and fifth swordsman Kuro of the Shinigami's Blade. Sitting next to him was the second swordsman Sashira who watched in silence. "They are progressing quickly" Sashira said turning to Tsuranabi. Tsuranabi nodded at her comment. "Hatred can be an excellent form of motivation. They hate their brother and those who didn't treat them with the respect they felt that they deserved. Soon, they will be useful assets to us and our goal of peace will be that much closer within our grasp" he said. Sashira nodded. "What about their brother? He was strong enough to kill Iliel alone. I can only assume that he will get stronger and if he is from the same line as Sera, then he will provide a serious obstacle for us in the future. Why not kill him now?" Sashira asked which gained a chuckle from Tsuranabi. "Because Sashira, so long as a swordsman like Sera and Naruto exists, then our plan will be in danger of falling through. The line of swordsmen that Sera and Naruto belong to is unique to say the least. Once I end that line, no one will be a threat to us. But it must be when Naruto has reached his full potential, otherwise another may rise up to challenge us. That is why I will wait" Tsuranabi stated.

"What about their special abilities? Each of us have special abilities so where does that leave them?" Sashira asked. "They are jinchuriki. Their ability is to completely harness the power of a nine tailed biju. At the moment, they don't need a special ability. You are thinking too hard on this Sashira. I assure you that I have already thought of the benefits and consequences regarding Menma and Narumi joining us. Their introduction into our organization will only further our plan" the swordsman said.

* * *

(Mount Myoboku)

Jiraiya sat with Ma, Pa, and the Toad Sage. He was exhausted. His search for his beloved godchildren had not been going well. It was as if they had vanished from the face of the earth. The entire situation infuriated him. The only thing that infuriated him more was that he seemed to be the only one who cared about Menma and Narumi anymore. Minato and Kushina were so hung up on Naruto that they had practically given up on their other children. Naruto. That's where the problems all seemed to stem from. Ever since that disgrace had returned, everything had gone to hell. The boy had turned everyone against the children of prophecy and may have started the destruction of the ninja world. The Toad Sannin was tempted to shove a rasengan right into the boy's gut for the good of everyone else, but doing so would inevitably lead to his death at the hands of his student.

"So Jiraiya boy, have you found Menma and Narumi?" Pa asked to which Jiraiya shook his head. "No and i'm running out of places to look. I can't find any trace of them and I'm running out of ideas. I fear that Minato and Kushina just don't care anymore. I need to find them Pa, if something has happened to them" Jiraiya said not finishing the sentence as tears began to flow from his eyes causing the toads to look down. They knew that Jiraiya was a tough man so to see him in so much pain both hurt and angered them.

"And the worst part is, that the one who caused this is getting all of the attention from Minato and Kushina. It's unbelievable. He's ruined everything. For all I know, he may have caused the destruction of the ninja world. The little brat probably did it on purpose out of spite because his siblings are the children of prophecy. Then the pathetic piece of shit had the gall to say that Menma and Narumi defected on their own. I almost shoved a rasengan into him right then and there" Jiraiya said with his fists clenched hard.

The toads looked at each other then at Jiraiya with worried expressions. "Jiraiya calm down" said the Toad Sage. "Tell us what happened from the beginning" the Toad Sage said. Jiraiya nodded and told them everything from when he told Minato and Kushina about the prophecy to Naruto's return to Konoha. By the end of his story, all three toads were shaking in anger. "YOU IDIOT" shouted Ma. "We told you that prophecy in hopes that you would supervise and assist the children of prophecy, not cause the neglect of a child" she yelled out. Pa shook his head at the man. The Toad Sage however looked at Jiraiya in thought.

"Jiraiya, you said the boy used a sword?" the Toad Sage asked to which Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, according to Minato and Itachi, the brat is pretty good with it too. Apparently it increases his strength at night or something like that" Jiraiya said. "Anything else that's significant that we should know about the boy?" the Toad Sage asked. Jiraiya crossed his arms in thought before looking up at the toad. "Minato told me that he found out that Naruto had a summoning contract with something. I think he called them serpents" Jiraiya said shrugging. When he looked back up at the toads, he noticed that each of them were pale and their mouths had dropped. "A-a-are you sure Jiraiya? Are you absolutely sure?" asked Pa. Jiraiya nodded at the question. "Yeah he told me serpents. Why, what's the big deal?" Jiraiya asked.

The Toad Sage shook uncontrollably. "The serpents were one of the three most feared creatures that ever existed. I believed that they were gone. Their power is virtually unmatched. Jiraiya, this boy you speak of is no ordinary boy. The fact that the serpents have accepted him has confirmed my suspicions. Naruto has great power within him. I fear that you have made a critical mistake, one that you must fix on your own. As for your godchildren, do not give up hope, but do not become blinded by your goal" the Toad Sage advised. Jiraiya nodded and left without a word, heavily in thought.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** 100 REVIEWS! The Lunar Swordsman has officially reached over one hundred reviews and it's all thanks to my dedicated readers. Thank you everyone for all the continued support and contributions of ideas. It means so much to me that so many people are enjoying the story and I hope that I continue to entertain. This was a pretty short chapter just because I wanted to do a time skip but also give insight to their training. I decided to release it early because it was so short. Anyway, next chapter will probably begin the Kiri Civil War Arc. That arc will really define Team 11 as serious ninja so be prepared. Still deciding on how to go with Jiraiya but I guess we'll see later on. Thank you everyone once again for the support and don't forget to review.


	21. A New Day, A New Mission

PinkiePieParty122894: Alright, I can finally type your full username by memory! It took a little while with the numbers but your consistent updating gave me a lot of practice. Ma and Pa will make some more appearances, one of which where they will actually see one of the serpents. Thanks for the reviews, I hope you keep them up, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Gammagyro: Yakumo will get more scythe abilities as she goes along and I may put a little bit more into the story and abilities of her scythe. She will also gain more lethal and intimidating genjutsu that I've decided to mix with her fuinjutsu. For Sasuke's spear, I took your advice about it being double bladed and I think it turned out well in terms of utilizing both of his elemental chakra types so I couldn't have done it without you. As for Tsunade, she might try during the middle of the Kiri Arc which begins this chapter.

Princess Sin: I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and are excited. And it's very possible that once the twins feel powerful enough or see Naruto again that they may go in for the kill despite what Tsuranabi says. As for Jiraiya vs. the twins, I thought about it but decided that if he went anywhere near the twins, The Shinigami's Blade would diced him into a thousand pieces and ship him back to Konoha before he could even say "Hi" so they probably won't face off.

DxGRAYxMAN: Yes he does. I kind of hint at it this chapter, but it will be revealed soon and I hope that you and the other readers like the direction I go in with the sage mode.

Jasmine: When I saw your review, I was almost done writing this chapter and literally felt like you were watching me from somewhere. Jiraiya and Tsunade will join Team 11 and what happens will change Jiraiya and Tsunade's entire outlook on Naruto. As for Danzo, I'm slowly entering parts of him that portray him in an antagonistic light kind of.

Wolven Phoenix: I'm happy that you are enjoying it and to answer your question about Naruto becoming a BAMF after learning sage mode. Yes, yes he does.

Animaman: Jiraiya is really stubborn and won't see the truth until he sees it for himself *hint hint. This Kiri arc is actually going to be big not just for Team 11 but for Jiraiya and Tsunade as well. For some of the people in the story, their entire reality will change. Whether or not Jiraiya is one of those people, you'll have to see. I will say that by the end of the Kiri arc, Jiraiya's opinion will have gotten incredibly worse or incredibly better. As for finding dirt on the elders, I don't know about all of that, but I plan on Minato maybe getting Kakashi to look into some of the things Danzo is doing so that I can also bring Kakashi back into the mix.

(Team 11 Training Ground)

It had been ten months since the members of Team 11 had begun their own individual training. Each of their teachers had decided that it was time to get them re-acclimated with one another in a spar against one another. Naruto stood with his sword resting on his shoulder as he looked at his friend Sasuke wielding a spear and his girlfriend Yakumo yielding a large scythe. Grinning, Naruto removed his blade from his shoulder and got into a battle stance. "We don't have to go this far you know. We could just go at each other with jutsu and fists. It might be more fair that way" Naruto said smiling.

Sasuke frowned and Yakumo rolled her eyes. "Naruto, we need to see where we stand in terms of using our weapons. Besides, if we were using ninjutsu I'd kick your ass all the way to Kumo. I want us all to go all out, it's the only way to test how far we've come" Sasuke said with his usual confident smirk. Yakumo and Naruto both smiled at their friend's answer. It was good to be back with one another.

The Uchiha ran at his blonde friend as the ends of his spear lit up in fire and crackled with electricity. Jabbing at him with high speed strikes, Naruto swiped each attack away with his sword. He was so focused on his fight with Sasuke that he almost didn't realize Yakumo in the air swinging her large scythe at him. Almost. Naruto deflected another attack from Sasuke and raised his sword to block Yakumo's strike. Yakumo stayed suspended in air while trying to put more pressure on her boyfriend's sword. Naruto shook his head and swung his fist into Yakumo's gut only for her entire being to collapse into sheets of paper. He didn't have time to wonder about what just happened as Sasuke quickly appeared behind him with his spear. Just as Sasuke jabbed forwards once again, his fellow ninja was replaced with a log which frustrated Sasuke. After pulling back his spear, he couldn't seem to find Naruto with his eyes. Smirking, Sasuke threw his spear into the air and shouted "Lightning Rain" sending lightning bolts to a nearby tree as they tracked the blonde's chakra.

Naruto cursed seeing the attack and it's ability. Jumping from the tree, Naruto turned in mid air and yelled out "Hammer Slash" as his sword strike got rid of the lightning chasing him. When Naruto landed, both of his legs were held down keeping him from moving. Looking down, he saw two arms that had risen from pieces of paper that now held him. Seeing an opportunity, Sasuke threw his spear which was beginning to become engulfed in flames at Naruto. Noticing the predicament he was in, Naruto held his sword and made a heavy slash that actually knocked Sasuke's spear. Seeing that Yakumo was still holding onto him, Naruto made a hand sign with one hand. "Voltage Vortex" Naruto said as a spiral of lightning surrounded him shocking anything and everything within close proximity of him. The jutsu worked as Yakumo let go and disappeared back into the paper.

"I've gotta say I'm impressed with the paper ninjutsu and the way that you are using it Yakumo" Naruto said looking around, searching for the brunette. "But you'll need a little more if you plan to take me down" Naruto said which got a chuckle that seemed to come from everywhere in the area. "Oh Naruto, you know better than anyone ninjutsu isn't even close to my best asset" said the voice of Yakumo before ten Yakumo's rose from the ground around Naruto and surrounded him in a circle. "Now Naruto, let's have some fun. Porcupine's Prison" yelled out Yakumo as each Yakumo raised their arms. A moment later, Naruto was surrounded by what seemed to be glowing senbons all directed at him. He tried to move but found that his body wouldn't obey him no doubt a bonus affect from his girlfriend's genjutsu. Closing his eyes, Naruto prepared for the pain. Each senbon launched at great speed and started to pierce his body. It didn't take long for Naruto to be completely covered in senbons. "SASUKE NOW!" shouted Yakumo. Not able to move his neck to see his teammate, he could feel the heat coming from whatever jutsu Sasuke had planned. Whatever it was, it was powerful.

Sasuke had both of his hands together and a large burning sphere prepared to fly at his comrade. "Solar Destruction" Sasuke shouted launching the ball of fire at the boy who thought he was paralyzed with senbon. As the ball of fire neared him, Naruto cursed himself for falling into this situation. Taking as deep of a breath as he could, Naruto pulsed his chakra disrupting the genjutsu. He was no longer littered with senbon, but he knew that the wounds were there thanks to Yakumo's ability to make a genjutsu illusion into a reality. Turning around, Naruto was faced with the incoming attack. Thinking quickly, Naruto made a shadow clone. When it formed, he looked at it and both nodded. As Naruto watched his clone create his Tempest Rasengan, Naruto removed what appeared to be a regular kunai. The only difference was a very special seal on the blade. Throwing it into a tree behind his teammates who were too focused on Sasuke's attack to see the kunai, Naruto quickly flashed to the location. He watched as the clone slammed his attack into Sasuke's causing both jutsu to explode. Sasuke and Yakumo were worried for a moment until they both felt a steel kunai against their throats. Naruto and a shadow clone stood behind the two with a smile. When the two gave up, he removed the kunai and moved in front of them.

"You guys did great! You actually almost had me" Naruto said very surprised that he had to resort to using the hiraishin to win. Both of his teammates nodded as well. "Yeah well we aren't the only ones who got stronger. I see you've got some new tricks in your bag" Sasuke said with a smirk. Naruto smirked right back. "You have no idea Sasuke" he said before looking towards the nearby trees. "How was that dad?" Naruto shouted. After Naruto's shout, Minato, Kushina, Itachi, Konan, and Orochimaru walked into view. Each of the adults were smiling. "We're all very impressed with each of your progress. The original plan was two years of training but you three have definitely changed that. Keep it up because I believe that each of you are on a legendary track" Minato said getting nods from each of the adults and smiles from the students. After hearing their praise, the three chunin began to catch up on what they did for training while Minato turned to his group. "I want each of you in my office. Konan is going to give me the report on Kiri and I want each of you there to hear it" Minato said getting nods from the group.

* * *

(Base of Shinigami's Blade)

Tsuranabi was sitting in his chair when Karasala, the third swordsman, entered his office. "Thank you for coming Karasala" Tsuranabi said which gained a nod from the man. Karasala was of average height and average weight. He had brown hair and a large scar that went from his right temple to the edge of his mouth. Other than the scar, there was nothing unique about his appearance. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and white pants. Red arm guards were attached to his wrists and large red boots covered his feet. Though his appearance gave off nothing special, he was easily one of the most dangerous swordsman in the world not only because of his skill with a blade, but the ability that he used in battle. Karasala had the ability to completely change the density of anything his sword struck. He could make a weapon as dangerous as a silk blanket and could destroy a person's body with a single cut by making a limb so weak that it was useless or so heavy that it would be impossible to lift it. It was an ability that made him one of the most dangerous swordsmen in the entire world.

"Sashira said you wanted to see me" Karasala said to which Tsuranabi nodded and stood from his chair. "Yes, I have a new mission for you. When Iliel went to Konoha, his goal was to kill each of the kages there to create instability within the ninja villages. He failed to do so and died as a result. Now it seems that his attempt at creating chaos backfired as the villages are starting to ally themselves with one another against us. All of it because Iliel couldn't keep his mouth shut" Tsuranabi said clenching his fists slightly before taking a small breath and relaxing. "I have discovered that Konoha plans on sending help for Kiri's rebellion to remove Yagura from power and bring stability to the Mist. That can't happen. Chaos must continue to brew in Kiri until our plan is ready to execute. You will go to Kiri and you will make sure that no one kills Yagura" Tsuranabi said to which Karasala nodded in understanding.

Seeing that their meeting was done, Karasala began to leave Tsuranabi's office but stopped at the door. "What if the boy who killed Iliel arrives in Kiri" Karasala asked to which Tsuranabi sighed. "Karasala, you are an important member to the Shinigami's Blade. The kages have become complacent in their abilities while we grow stronger. That boy is the only one who can challenge us at the time. I would prefer if you do not kill him, but do not risk your life to spare his. At the moment he is my only option for obtaining absolute power but I'm certain that down the line more will rise from the ashes of the ninja world. Keep him alive if you can, but kill him if you must" said Tsuranabi.

Tsuranabi looked at the ground. "Let us see Naruto if you are worth the effort that I've put into you. Will you fight and obtain victory or will you die and be lost to time itself? Whatever the case, I will be waiting for you Lunar Soldier" Tsuranabi said before laughing loudly.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his office surrounded by Kushina, Itachi, Konan, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. "Konan, I'd like for you to give your mission report now" Minato said to which Konan nodded and stepped forward. "Honestly Lord Hokage, it's not going as we had hoped. The Mizukage's forces have been steadily defeating the rebels. If we are to help the rebel forces then it's now or never" Konan finished making Minato look down in thought. The blonde hokage was silent for a moment before looking back up at everyone who occupied his office. "We can't afford to send out a large amount of our forces while the Shinigami's Blade is poised to strike at any moment, but perhaps I could send a skilled team to assist the rebels in Kiri" Minato said before nodding. "Itachi, I want you to gather your team and prepare them for a high A to S rank mission. Tsunade, I want you to find Jiraiya for the two of you will join Team 11, Kushina, Itachi, and Konan in assisting the rebels. Orochimaru, I will need you here in case the Shinigami's Blade or any other enemy gets any ideas. Jiraiya has just returned from Mount Myoboku but I haven't seen him so you may have to search for a while Tsunade. All of you except Orochimaru leave in three days" Minato said getting different looks from those in the room.

Kushina looked very concerned as any mother would and Tsunade looked very unsure about Minato's choice of sending Team 11. Tsunade was also secretly worried about Jiraiya who wasn't his most stable or logical self these days. Itachi and Konan both had serious looks on their faces but knew that their students would be up to the task despite their lack of experience. Orochimaru simply nodded his head at Minato's decision. He wasn't worried about Sasuke especially since his teammates and Itachi would be there. Orochimaru knew that there was another reason for keeping him in the village besides a defensive measure. Even after nearly a year, Orochimaru was still not trusted by a fair amount of the village and so sending him out on an S rank mission could cause concern and questions about if the Snake Sannin would purposefully sabotage the mission or betray the village in some way. Orochimaru needed to stay in order to build up trust within Konoha and Minato knew that.

"Orochimaru, I want you to assemble the council so that I may address them. Itachi, prepare your team for they leave next week" Minato said before dismissing everyone. As the ninja filed out, Kushina stayed behind. Minato sighed and put his head in his hands. "Am I doing the right thing Kushina?" Minato asked to his wife who had her arms crossed. Kushina took a deep breath and thought about what to say before responding. "I don't know Minato. I don't want my son put in the middle of a war. I can't lose him again. But I also know that we need Kiri if we're going to beat the Shinigami's Blade. I know that Naruto far surpasses chunin level, hell I would say that he surpasses most jounin and that's during the day. I'll never agree with putting my son in harm's way, but he is a shinobi now and he isn't going to be alone in this. I trust your judgement just as I always have" she said before walking and giving him a quick kiss before leaving.

Minato nodded and with a renewed confidence made his way to the council room.

* * *

(Team 11)

Naruto, Sasuke, and Yakumo sat at their training ground under a tree going over what they had done in the past ten months. "Yakumo, you're getting a lot better with your scythe and your paper ninjutsu. I am curious about that last technique, "Porcupine's Prison". How did you hit me with it?" Naruto asked which got a wide smile from Yakumo. "Kushina sensei has been teaching me a lot about seals. One of the most recent seals I learned was the paralysis seal which I caught you in. I'm sure you noticed the glowing circle under you when the jutsu started?" Yakumo asked to which Naruto nodded. "Well, that was the seal activating and keeping you still while I set up the genjutsu to strike you down" the brunette said smiling. Naruto and Sasuke both smiled while thinking about how much progress she had made.

"What about you Sasuke? How's your training gone?" Naruto asked his Uchiha teammate. Sasuke looked at both of his teammates and snorted before displaying his usual smirk. "Let's just say that what you saw in our battle doesn't even compare to how strong I've truly gotten. I have nearly mastered my sharingan and my taijutsu is nearly flawless. Not to mention that I have created a multitude of jutsu and my ability with my spear is something that others would be jealous of" Sasuke said beaming while Naruto and Yakumo rolled their eyes at his "Uchiha Confidence (Arrogance)" before chuckling. The sound of his teammates laughter caused Sasuke to look back at Naruto and Yakumo and stand up. "Mark my words, you will see that I, Sasuke Uchiha am the strongest Uchiha to have ever lived" Sasuke said with a fire burning in his eyes which caused his teammates to chuckle more.

Naruto stopped laughing eventually while Yakumo continued to giggle. "So does that mean that you're stronger than Itachi sensei?" Naruto asked which caused Sasuke to cross his arms. "Of course I am. The blood running through my veins have allowed me to far surpass my brother" Sasuke said proudly. Immediately after Sasuke made this claim, Yakumo stopped giggling but Naruto gained a smirk on his face. "I bet you wouldn't say that to his face" Naruto said to which Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I bet you that I would. Even he must admit that" Sasuke started before noticing that Naruto was no longer looking at him. Rather the blonde was now looking behind his Uchiha teammate. Slowly turning around, Sasuke was met with the sight of his brother who had his sharingan activated. "Hey Itachi, I thought that you were in a meeting" Sasuke said laughing nervously. "Okay, I'm sorry that I said all that. I know that you are stronger than me, I was just" Sasuke tried explaining but Itachi quickly put his hand up to stop him before smiling.

"Calm down brother. I'm not angry at you, but I am a bit disappointed. What was the very first thing that I taught you?" Itachi asked. "Confidence keeps you alive, overconfidence gets you killed" Sasuke responded making Itachi and Naruto nod their heads. "Correct. I have high hopes for you little brother as I see in you even more potential than I ever had. I'm counting on you not to let arrogance be your downfall" Itachi said before looking over his whole team. "Alright Team 11, as genin you were regarded as the most powerful genin team that Konoha ever produced. Now, you are chunin. With that position, you receive more responsibilities, some riskier than others. I have returned from the Hokage with a mission of the upmost importance. The three of you along with Konan, Kushina, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and myself will be going to Kiri to assist the rebels in their war against the Mizukage. This is a high A to S rank mission for which we will leave in three days. Do any of yo have any questions?" asked Itachi looking over the reactions of his three chunin. No one said anything or moved until Naruto raised his hand. Itachi nodded towards Naruto and the blonde asked his question. "Is there anything specific that we will be doing when we get there?" he asked.

Itachi shook his head. "When we arrive, our group will locate the leader of the rebels and get our instructions from whoever it is" Itachi answered. Noticing that his team had no more questions, Itachi asked his. "Naruto, you have heard about your teammates' progress, wouldn't it be polite to share yours?" Itachi asked. Naruto chuckled at the question. "My dad taught me a lot about sealing and taijutsu, I made a few ninjutsu, and I even created a couple of new seals" Naruto said impressing his teammates but not fooling his sensei. "Anything else Naruto?" Itachi asked to which Naruto grinned. "Well, let's just say that I have a new and very powerful trump card" Naruto finished.

* * *

(Council Room)

Minato sat in his chair with Orochimaru standing beside him. The rest of the council looked expectantly at their leader. "Today, I decided that that the situation in Kiri could no longer be ignored by Konoha. We face a giant with malicious goals set in mind. The Shinigami's Blade is the largest threat to not only Konoha, but every nation unless we stop it. In order to do so, we will need help. Iwa, Kumo, and Suna have already allied themselves with us leaving only Kiri who is still in their civil war. To stop the Shinigami's Blade, all shinobi nations must come together which is why I have assigned a mission to a very special group of ninja in hopes that they can change things in Kiri" Minato said getting confused looks all around. "Who may I ask is this special group?" asked Shibi Aburame, the head of the Aburame clan. Minato took a deep breath before answering. "I have assigned Tsunade Senju, Jiraiya, Itachi Uchiha, Konan, Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Yakumo Kurama, and Sasuke Uchiha to head to Kiri and assist in any way possible" the blonde kage said before and out roar started, mostly from the Kurama head. "ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU WILL NOT SEND MY DAUGHTER THERE!" Murakumo Kurama, head of the Kurama clan, shouted. Ever since the invasion during the chunin exams, Murakumo couldn't stop worrying about the danger that his daughter was putting herself in every day.

The blonde shook his head. "Listen to me, all of you. The Shinigami's Blade is a threat of which the world has never seen. One member, only one, was able to beat three kages and a kage level jinchuriki to a pulp without so much as a scratch. We will need all nations to unite if we even want to stand a chance against them" Minato said getting nods from some of the council members. Shikaku was the next council member to voice his thoughts. "What do we know about the Shinigami's Blade?" asked Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara clan. Minato shook his head while answering. "Virtually nothing. Nothing stands out in the Bingo Book, no recent attacks, even Jiraiya's spy network hasn't been able to find anything. All I know is that their goal is "Peace by Submission" which is what the man who I and the other kages faced told me" answered Minato which caused Shikaku to put his hands together.

"You know Lord Hokage, you told us that the attacker known as Iliel died which was verified by the other kages. You did not however tell us how he died or who killed him" said the elder, Danzo who looked at Minato with calculative eyes. Minato simply looked at Danzo and said, "You're right. I didn't", before moving on with the meeting which caused Danzo to clench his fist at the disrespect the young kage showed. His thoughts were interrupted when a civilian council member spoke up. "Is there any way that we could make a deal with The Shinigami's Blade" asked the council member to which Minato answered "No" before moving on and waiting on the next council member to ask a question.

The process of asking and answering questions eventually began to come to a close after an hour of being in session. Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga clan, asked the final question. "Why are you sending three chunin along? Why not replace them with ANBU or regular jounin?" asked the Hyuuga. Minato sighed. It was the question that he had to be very careful in answering. "I have decided on sending the former Team 11 based on their abilities and attitudes towards these types of situations. I know that they will keep level heads and I am also very much aware of how powerful each of them are. They will do fine" Minato said confidently before dismissing the council. When everyone had left, Minato sat thinking about the mission. "They will do fine" Minato said once again to himself.

* * *

(Tsunade)

Tsunade had gone through a couple of bars and the village hot springs before finding her perverted teammate. He was unconscious not far from the hot springs, evidence that he had been caught peeping and been served the swift hand of justice. Waking him up, she helped him over to a nearby bench as both sat down. "Jiraiya, we've been called on by the Hokage to go to Kiri along with Itachi, Kushina, Konan, and Team 11" she said. Jiraiya was still rubbing his head when Tsunade informed him of the mission. "Kiri? No, I have to keep looking for Menma and Narumi. I don't have time to go to Kiri and stop a war" the toad sage said sitting straight up. Tsunade shook her head. "You don't have a choice. Besides, we may find some clues about Menma and Narumi's whereabouts in Kiri" Tsunade said making Jiraiya look down in thought.

Honestly, the man didn't want to go. He saw it as a waste of time and didn't want to be near the boy who caused his godchildren to be taken from Konoha, but the possibility of finding Menma and Narumi caused him to nod his head in agreement. "I'll go under one condition" Jiraiya said getting a confused look from the Slug Sannin. "I want a peek at these babies" Jiraiya said reaching for Tsunade's breasts causing her eyebrow to twitch violently. Not a second later, Jiraiya was sent flying across Konoha.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thank you everybody for the continued support. It means a lot that so many people are not only reading the story but enjoying it as well. Some info for the future. Next chapter entails the journey to Kiri, arriving in Kiri, some fighting etc. I have also decided that I will be giving Itachi a love interest so yeah. Naruto will face off against Karasala later on in which he will show a new skill that many have anticipated. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to REVIEW!


	22. The Shinigami's Blade: For Real or Not

New Elements92: Jiraiya will get some reality checks along the way. The twins will get their asses beat a couple of times throughout the story. Glad that you're enjoying it.

Gammagyro: Yakumo will get more action in terms of using her scythe and interrogation. I'm gonna really try to make this Kiri arc one that greatly advances Team 11's careers. Naruto is going to have more conversations with role models that tame his overconfidence along with new experiences. Mei is going to probably make things awkward with Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi. Even though Mei is kind of a hero to Yakumo for now, Yakumo knows when to defend what's hers. I'm not sure about Land of Snow involved but Land of Demons is very probable (once again causing issues with Yakumo's jealousy). Kiri arc is supposed to be the jumping point for the story so they will start making friends in Kiri with people like Chojuro and build upon that as more Konoha ninja come to prominence and they meet new people. There will be more sword techniques later on and I don't plan on using the CRA just because I don't think that I would be able to write it correctly. Always appreciate your ideas.

PinkiePieParty122894: Once again a column of support. I appreciate the support as always.

Animaman: Not sure on if I'll be giving Kakashi a backstory in it but I will say that after this arc, Minato is going to have a talk with the toads either with Jiraiya or about Jiraiya. It's going to depend on whether or not Jiraiya changes this arc. If Jiraiya continues down the path that he's on now, there is going to be serious consideration about removing Jiraiya from the Toad Contract. If Jiraiya changes, there will be talks that include the true prophecy and a lot of regret. Love the ideas from you.

Jasmine: I'm planning on slowly introducing Danzo into the story which vaguely comes up this chapter. The kages will hold a meeting in which Naruto will be a key part of to discuss the Shinigami's Blade. As for the test I don't know if I'll make Kakashi test them but I'm still thinking about the plans ahead so you never know.

777torn777: I'll be bringing up the senior members progress later on but the Shinigami's Blade members are also going to get stronger and maybe grow in size later on. Minato will most likely learn some new moves like new variations of the rasengan or something whereas Itachi, Kushina, and Konan will get stronger as well. The other kages and their close ones are getting stronger also.

* * *

(Boat to Mist)

Naruto sat near the edge of the boat that was taking them to Kirigakure, better known as the Hidden Mist Village. A land of nothing but genocide and bloodshed. The Hidden Mist Village truly was hell on earth in the elemental nations. Because of how horrid things had gone in the past few years, Kiri had collapsed into a civil war which is why Naruto along with others were chosen to help take care of the situation and turn the tides in favor of the rebels. The blonde chunin was interrupted from his thoughts when his teammate and best friend approached him on the deck.

"Hey Naruto, why are you up here?" asked Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto took a deep breath before turning and answering his friend. "Sasuke, do you trust me?" the blonde asked which caused Sasuke to tilt his head in confusion before nodding his head slowly. Naruto sighed. "Sasuke, my father has been teaching me fuinjutsu lately. I've come a long way. In fact, I've come even further than my father knows. Recently I was able to create a series of seals just in case I find myself outmatched in a duel" Naruto said looking down and missing the shocked look on Sasuke's face.

"Naruto, what are you talking about? You're the best swordsman in Konoha. You took out a guy that beat three kage at once in a sword duel. Why would you think that you'll be outmatched?" asked the Uchiha with a little bit of worry in his tone. Naruto looked up at his friend and shook his head. "Iliel opened my eyes. He was strong, but I know that he wasn't even close to the strongest in the Shinigami's Blade. Sasuke, I told my dad and everyone else that I couldn't gauge the power that the man that took Menma and Narumi had. I lied when I said that. The amount of power that he held was unfathomable. It was beyond anything in my imagination. When my dad told me about seals and their power, I knew that I would need them to beat whoever that guy was. That's why I learned fuinjutsu" he confessed leaving Sasuke shell shocked. He knew that Naruto was a proud warrior and would never admit that an opponent was too much for him, but from what he was saying, this man was way ahead of his friend.

The blonde shinobi knocked Sasuke out of his thoughts before he could come to any conclusions. "Back to my sealing. I've developed a couple of seals that I believe will at least level out the playing field, one of which I need your help" Naruto said getting a nod from Sasuke. "I have created a seal that will destroy any opponent, no matter how powerful if executed correctly. I call it the "Yin-Yang Seal". I have placed a complex seal on my hand that will allow me to force out a large amount of my yin chakra. I need someone else to place a complex seal in order to force out their yang chakra. Once me and my partner activate the seal, all I have to do is place my hand with the seal on the opponent and vice versa for my partner. When that happens, my yin chakra will force itself into the opponent's chakra system severely disrupting it and injuring the enemy. When my partner uses their seal, it will destroy the chakra system making it irreparable and killing the enemy. Sasuke, I want you to be my partner" the blonde finished.

Sasuke's head was spinning. What Naruto had just described was a seal possibly on par with the "Reaper Death Seal". The potential alone was unheard of, or at least to him it was. "Naruto, how in Kami's name did you make this? You know what, never mind. But why couldn't you just place the seal on you so that you can use both the yin and the yang chakra?" Sasuke asked. "If I did that, I would be in worse shape than my opponent. I would literally be pushing all of my chakra into my opponent. The enemy may be injured, but I could be killed. The risk of death or serious damage is too high" Naruto responded. Sasuke nodded at the response before asking his most important question. "Why are you trusting me with this?" the Uchiha asked. Naruto looked at Sasuke for a long moment before answering.

"Sasuke, this seal has the potential to create great destruction. I don't want it spread around. The "Yin-Yang Seal" will die with me and if you accept, you. It's far too dangerous for the rest of the world. You are my closest friend, hell you're like a brother to me. I trust you with my life. I know deep down that you are the only choice in who will share this seal with me" Naruto responded in a serious tone. Sasuke looked at his friend for a long moment without a word before nodding. "Okay Naruto. How do we do this?" the Uchiha asked which gained a small smile from Naruto. "I have the yin seal already placed on my hand and the yang seal already made. All I need is to place the seal on your hand. It won't be seen unless you use the seal itself. I should also tell you that using it will disrupt your ability to use jutsu for a couple of days because your body will need to regenerate your yang chakra which takes time" Naruto said to which Sasuke nodded and held out his hand. Naruto bit his thumb and rubbed the blood in a strange sequence on his shoulder until a piece of paper poofed into his hand. Taking the paper, Naruto placed it on Sasuke's hand. "Sasuke, push your chakra into the seal now" Naruto said. Sasuke did as his teammate asked and pushed his chakra into the seal.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then all at once a strong burning was felt in his hand. The burning sensation started to get more and more intense to a point where Sasuke almost cried out in pain until the pain abruptly stopped. After the pain subsided, Naruto removed the paper to reveal the seal. On Sasuke's hand was a glowing yang symbol which quickly vanished after Sasuke stopped pushing his chakra. All of the sudden, Sasuke felt dizzy and started to stumble but was caught by Naruto. "We done?" asked Sasuke asked to which Naruto nodded. "Alright then. Now come on, we're going down to socialize" Sasuke said shaking in fear at the last word which caused Naruto to chuckle and walk with his friend.

* * *

(Mizukage's Office)

Yagura the Mizukage sat in his chair thinking about what he had just been told. A group of elite ninja ranging from two of the Sannin to the "Red Hot Habanero" herself were on their way to assist the rebels in defying him. While the Mizukage sat in thought, the swordsman known as Karasala sat in the office examining his sword. "Are you sure that this information is credible?" asked the Mizukage. Karasala nodded his head. "The info is straight from a Konoha Council meeting" he said stretching his arms. Yagura looked down for a moment before raising his head. "Why are you telling me this? What are you expecting to get as a reward for this information?" Yagura asked which gained a chuckle from Karasala. "We don't want a reward especially when you have nothing that we value" the swordsman said causing the Mizukage to frown. "We simply want to keep the scales even in this little war that you've gotten yourself into" Karasala said with a grin causing Yagura to abruptly stand up. Before Karasala could react, he was pinned against the wall by the small child like kage.

"I did not start this war and you would be wise not to insinuate such things in my presence peasant" Yagura spat causing Karasala to frown. What happened next was over faster than most would be able to see. Karasala quickly pulled his sword from his side sheath and made a small and shallow cut on Yagura's arm. Yagura's arm immediately fell off of Karasala allowing the swordsman room to fully stand. "You know, I don't appreciate being talked down to as if I am lesser. My skills surpassed each and every kage a long time ago and I guarantee that they have not diminished in that span" he said to Yagura who was on the ground looking at his unresponsive arm and trembling in fear. "Don't worry about your arm, I'll be able to fix it easily enough" Karasala said before making another small cut on the arm returning it to it's previous state.

Yagura looked at the man in front of him trembling. "Wh-what did you do?" the Mizukage asked which gained a smirk from Karasala. "I changed your bone density so that you would be unable to use it. Maybe that will teach you who to call a peasant" Karasala said putting his sword back into his sheath. "Now back to your question" Karasala said getting a confused look from Yagura. Karasala sighed at the Mizukage's inability to concentrate however that may have been partly his fault. Shaking his head, Karasala explained. "You asked what we wanted. The only thing we want is the son of the Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Do what you want with the rest of the group but don't even think about going after that boy. He is mine to take on and if need be, eliminate" Karasala smirking before quickly looking up. Looking in various directions rapidly, Karasala eventually focused on a single direction and smiled widely and wildly. "Well isn't that just a stroke of good luck. It's time for me to go as my mission assignment has just arrived in Kiri" Karasala said with a smile before vanishing into thin air leaving a terrified Mizukage to rethink his strategy for eliminating the rebels.

* * *

(Kiri)

The Konoha Group rushed through a pathway to the location of the rebels. Each of the Konoha nin were focused on making it to the rebel base which was an hour away. Each of them except Naruto. As the group had gotten off at Kiri, the blonde had felt that something was off. He couldn't explain what it was but he had a feeling in his gut that screamed for him to be ready for battle. Before Naruto could take action, a massive explosion of chakra came from a short distance. The chakra explosion caused each of the ninja to stop in their tracks and assume attack positions. Each senior ninja was prepared for confrontation while Sasuke had his spear at the ready, Yakumo had her scythe resting on her shoulder, and Naruto had his sword in hand ready for a fight. Naruto closed his eyes in concentration trying to find where the location of the chakra burst came from when it happened again. This time the chakra was much closer to the group. Naruto opened his eyes and readied his sword knowing what was in store.

Kushina felt the enormous explosions of chakra and turned quickly. "Let's quicken the pace. Hurry" Kushina said trying to get the group to focus and keep moving. While most of the Konoha group looked ready to go, her son kept his gaze set in the direction of the chakra and seemed to tighten his grip on his sword. "Naruto, let's go" Kushina said more firmly. It was a long moment before her son shook his head causing her to frown. "I'm sorry mom but there's somewhere that I have to be" Kushina's son responded causing her eyes to widen. "Naruto I gave you an order. Now as both your mother and your squad leader you must follow my orders so get ready to move" she said but clenched her fists in frustration as her son shook his head once again. "Mom, you felt that chakra, we all did. It was a lot larger than any of the kage and I think that you remember what happened last time with a man like that. I have to take care of him and then I will rejoin you and the others at the rebel base" Naruto said without turning to look at his mother. Kushina looked down. The source of the impossibly large chakra was approaching quickly and she knew that they would be overtaken soon. She also knew that it had to be a member of the Shinigami's Blade as no other person alive had chakra like their group. The only person that had proven a match for one of their members was her son and that terrified her. Making a final decision, she bit her lip and stepped closer to her son.

"Okay Naruto, we'll investigate the chakra source but we'll do it together" Kushina said getting nods from Team 11, blank looks from Konan and Itachi, and surprised looks from the two Sanin. Once again Naruto shook his head at her suggestion. "No mom, you'll get in the way and you still have an important mission" the blonde said showcasing his Uzumaki stubbornness at a very inopportune time. Kushina looked down in thought. There was an obvious threat heading their way, one that could possibly be beyond her capabilities. They would never make it to the rebel base in time unless they took out the enemy first. Kushina's head throbbed and her heart hurt as she looked up at her son with both worry and confidence. "Take care of it Naruto, but Jiraiya and Tsunade are going with you" she said sternly.

Naruto turned to face his mother. He could see the worry on her face. Looking at the crowd, she saw worry in most of their faces but none more so than his mother and girlfriend who was clenching her scythe with tears in her eyes. Giving his mother and girlfriend some comfort, he nodded and gave a small smirk which seemed to relieve the two women a small amount. "Don't worry mom, I'll be done before you know it" he said with a smirk before looking back in the direction of the chakra source. Kushina simply nodded without a word as Jiraiya and Tsunade moved next to her son and the three took off. After the three had left, Itachi walked up to her and gained her attention. "Are you sure that was the right call Kushina?" Itachi asked. Kushina teared up slightly and turned her head a little before nodding. "Yes Itachi. Before we left, Minato gave me a few details of how far he has truly advanced. I hate myself for letting him go off on his own, but as a shinobi, I have a responsibility to recognize his use for this mission. He is strong and has the backing of two Sannin. I have faith that he will return. Now let's hurry, we've wasted enough time as it is" Kushina said and started running faster than before. Part of increasing her speed was so that the mission could progress quicker. The other part was so that no one could see the small tears that escaped her eyes as she tried to hold in the worry for her son.

* * *

(Naruto)

Naruto rushed towards the chakra source with Jiraiya and Tsunade right behind him. The blonde tightened his grip on his sword knowing that his chances of winning this battle most likely hinged upon his sacred weapon. Though he didn't show it, Naruto was scared. The only reason that he was able to beat Iliel before was due to the effect of the moonlight. Now it was daytime and while he still had more power than most, he knew that this would not be just another enemy. The Shinigami's Blade were dangerous, that much he had gotten from his interactions with two of their members along with vague information from his master. Sera had been suspiciously close mouthed about the group of swordsmen which concerned Naruto a great deal. He knew that she was a former member but anytime he tried to get more information she ended the conversation. It was troubling to say the least.

It didn't take long for the group of three to reach the chakra source. The brown haired swordsman known as Karasala sat in a clearing on a log examining his sword. Many would think that he had not sensed the group by his actions but that was far from the case. "Nice to see you Naruto" said Karasala without looking up from his sword. Naruto kept his sword on his shoulder and prepared for battle while the two Sannin simply narrowed their eyes. "I see that you recognize the situation Naruto unlike your counterparts here" Karasala said now looking at the group. "Jiraiya and Tsunade, I almost feel flattered, but you should leave. You'll only get in the way" the brunette said causing Jiraiya to shake his head and Tsunade to scoff.

"Obviously you don't know too much about us kid. We are two of the most powerful ninja in Konoha history so I wouldn't make ignorant statements like that" Jiraiya said. "As Jiraiya said, you wouldn't stand a chance against us" Tsunade reiterated. Karasala laughed loudly at the two ninjas' statements. "Oh please, you got your title from a loss to Hanzo the Salamander. As for being the most powerful ninja in Konoha, we are far more powerful than anything the ninja villages have ever produced" the swordsman said with a smile. Upon hearing those words, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes further and clenched his fists. "Let me guess, you're part of that pathetic sword group" Jiraiya baited which caused Karasala's smile to drop. "Last I checked, one of our weakest members wiped the floor with your so called prodigy of a student" Karasala said shutting up the Toad Sannin.

Naruto stepped forward interrupting the back and forth between the swordsman and the Sannin. "Are you sure you want to do this? I already killed one of your members and have no problems killing another" Naruto said getting into a battle stance. Karasala snorted at Naruto's comment. "Trust me Naruto, there is a large difference between Iliel and me. Added to that is there's no moon to feed you" Karasala said readying his sword. "I'm sure those Kyubi brats will be pissed to hear that I took their kill but they'll get over it" he said to which Jiraiya immediately responded. "Where are they?!" the Sannin asked. Karasala turned his gaze back to the toad summoner. "They are learning and getting ready for their role. Now, Naruto, do you really want these two in the way?" Karasala asked. Naruto looked at the two Sannin. "This is my fight, stay out of the way" Naruto said and rushed after his opponent before the two Sannin could protest.

The blonde raised his sword to strike while his opponent stood still with his sword in front of him. Upon reaching Karasala, Naruto jumped high into the air. When Naruto reached the peak of his chakra enhanced jump which was about thirty feet in the air, he shouted "Sanctity's End" before spinning downwards towards his opponent. Karasala chuckled and shook his head at the move deducing it quickly. Still without taking a step, Karasala raised his sword to block the incoming strike. When both swords met, instead of Naruto pushing through, he was kept in place as Karasala refused to relent. Smirking, Karasala simply said "It's over" before slicing through Naruto's sword and kicking the blonde fifteen feet backwards with a kick to the chest. When Naruto recovered and stood, his eyes widened at the sight of his sword five feet away sliced in half. His head was spinning and questions were quickly filling up when Karasala decided to break the boy from his trance.

"Man you really are Sera's student. She always had a tendency to leap before she looked. I guess it rubbed off on you. In case you're wondering, I am able to change the density of anything my sword makes contact with. Like I said, it's over. You can't use your sword and I doubt that you've got any ninjutsu that will kill me" Karasala said while Naruto's gaze was transfixed on the sight of his sword literally cut in half. His gaze was broken however when two figures ran past him both ready for battle. Looking up, he witnessed Jiraiya and Tsunade trying and failing to land punches, kicks, or a rasengan on Jiraiya's part on Karasala. Through the entirety of the scuffle between the three, Karasala simply looked bored and after Jiraiya's rasengan, the swordsman prepared a sword strike. Eyes widened, Naruto quickly took a very special kunai from the back of his pouch and threw it near the Sannin. Using a move that only he and his father could, he flashed and appeared in front of the two historic Konoha ninja pushing them backwards. Unfortunately, Naruto's quick move didn't give him enough time to dodge the strike as Karasala's sword made a large slice into his left arm. Naruto immediately felt the effect of Karasala's sword as his arm simply fluttered with the wind completely unusable.

"Well now, you've lost your sword, you've pretty much lost an arm. What will you do now?" asked Karasala to which Naruto gritted his teeth. "I'll fight, just as I always have. If it ends in my death then so be it" Naruto said pulsing his chakra and making his opponent frown. "Jiraiya, Tsunade, stay out of this. Also, if I lose, tell mom and Yakumo I'm sorry" Naruto said and without waiting for a response attacked his opponent. Outstretching his arm, Naruto formed his signature ninjutsu move and yelled "Tempest Rasengan" before slamming it into the ground giving himself a cloud of dust. Karasala looked around and before he could locate Naruto, he was hit with a heavy punch to the stomach. Next came a kick to the back and an uppercut to the jaw before Karasala pulsed his chakra clearing the dust. The dust cleared just in time for Karasala to see Naruto running at him with a rasengan. Not intimidated in the slightest, Karasala raised his sword, sidestepped Naruto, and sliced the boy in half only for it to explode into smoke. Growling in irritation, he located Naruto too late as he had just finished a sequence of one handed signs.

After completing the handsigns, a large amount of chakra covered Naruto as he whispered "Chakra Release: Moonlight Residue". Once surrounded in his excess chakra, Naruto shouted "Darkness Suspension" which created a pool of a black tar like substance to form underneath Karasala. By the time the brown haired swordsman realized what was happening, it was too late. His entire lower body was held by the tar and while he kept trying to free himself, Naruto pulled out his brand new ace in the hole. Biting his lip hard enough to bleed, Naruto raised his right shoulder and rubbed his blood from his lip onto the tattoo that occupied his body. When the blood covered the seal, it began to glow gold before long thin gold lines started to branch throughout the blondes body. As the golden lines continued to spread over Naruto, the boy screamed in pain. The pain lasted only a moment as Naruto's transformation had begun. His blue eyes turned yellow with a long thin pupil in the center. Purple scales covered his arms and hands as his face turned a shade of purple as well. Three hard fin like parts protruded from the side of each arm and the ends of his knuckles gained a sharp edge to them. Naruto's muscles increased in size along with the rest of his body. The physical transformation ended when his hair changed from blonde and spiky to black and laid down. The golden lines that had covered his body earlier shined over his current body as well. Clenching his fists to test his grip, the new Naruto reached his right hand out and a bright light formed around his hand. When the light died down, a large golden trident was left in the shinobi's hand.

Karasala finally removed himself from Naruto's jutsu when he was faced with an intimidating sight to say the least. Naruto didn't even really look human anymore. He was covered in scales, his skin was purple, and he was exuding more chakra than almost anything he had ever felt before. This new Naruto wasn't just intimidating, he was scary. Gritting his teeth and gripping his sword, the swordsman prepared to end their fight. "Change all you want Naruto, it won't change the fact that you die here today" Karasala shouted. The brunette ran at the former blonde with his sword ready to strike. As Naruto brought his trident up to block, Karasala smirked that Naruto would be such a fool and lose his weapon a second time. His amused attitude died when instead of Naruto's trident collapsing in on itself upon contact, it held steady. Trying to comprehend why his ability wasn't working, he looked into Naruto's eyes which proved to be a mistake. The eyes he looked into said one word. Death.

"I did not have the confidence to say that you would die earlier. Now, in this moment, I tell you that you will die" Naruto said before pushing Karasala back using his trident. Karasala stumbled backwards but quickly recovered and raised his sword calming himself. 'I am a member of the Shinigami's Blade. I don't need a special ability to kill someone with my swordsmanship skills, especially not this child" thought Karasala trying to convince himself that he would win this battle. Naruto continued to walk towards Karasala slowly with his trident in hand. As Naruto neared closer, Karasala rushed forward and tried a strike to Naruto's arm which resulted in him landing the hit but not piercing his arm. The brown haired swordsman was so bewildered by the result that he was unprepared for Naruto to strike back. Naruto raised his right arm and slammed the fins of his arm into Karasala's face making a large gash from the nose to the jaw opposite of his previous injury scar. An added result of Naruto's attack was that it knocked Karasala onto the ground.

Karasala didn't stay on the ground long as he quickly got up ignoring the injury and dashed once more at his opponent. The swordsman made quick and masterful jabs and swipes with his sword but all were countered by a block from the trident. A downward slash from Karasala eventually proved to be the beginning of the end. Naruto stepped back slightly to avoid the swipe and immediately trapped the blade underneath his new trident. After the sword was trapped, Naruto grabbed Karasala by the throat tightly and lifted him slightly off of the ground. "When we first began, I asked if you were sure that you wanted to go through with this. I was scared yet merciful in that moment. Know that now, I will show no such mercy" Naruto said as water started to flow upwards from the ground covering every bit of Karasala except his head. Naruto moved the swordsman's head so that he was looking into the sky and then removed his hand.

The sky was had gotten dark, something that no one in the area had noticed due to the ongoing battle. Pitch black clouds covered the skies above, the only light being the lightning that slashed through the clouds. "Look upon your destruction" Naruto said before shoving his trident into Karasala's gut into an area that didn't kill him. Karasala didn't even register the pain of the trident stab as the lightning grew nearer and nearer. "NARUTO WAIT! I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE SHINIGAMI'S BLADE! I CAN TELL YOU WHERE THEIR BASE IS! PLEASE SHOW MERCY" Karasala shouted in fear yet his fellow swordsman refused to listen. Naruto raised his arms to the sky and yelled out "Divine Lightning" as a large bolt of lightning flew down at the water covered Karasala. The lightning filled the man's body and continued to surge through the man nonstop until his skin burned off from the high voltage of the electricity. The clouds cleared relatively quickly and the water collapsed leaving only a pile of bones and a sword.

Naruto stood over the remains of Karasala before the golden lines that covered his body began to recede quickly. In a matter of twenty seconds, Naruto was back to normal. His arm was restored and nearby, so was his sword. As soon as Naruto's transformation back to normal was complete, he fell to the ground gasping for air leading to both Sannin running to him.

Tsunade was running the fastest towards her neglected godson. What she had just witnessed was beyond both her and Jiraiya's comprehension. The power displayed was simply incredible. After Naruto had protected her and Jiraiya, she wanted to jump right back into battle but a voice inside of her had told her to let Naruto take care of it. She could only assume that it was the same for Jiraiya but a large part of her doubted that. She was also happy that Naruto still held her in a high enough regard to protect her.

Upon reaching the blonde, Tsunade kneeled beside the still gasping boy. Quickly going over his body with her hand that was glowing green, she surmised that his physical injuries were minimal but he had seriously stressed his chakra system. Naruto eventually calmed down and stopped gasping before sitting down with the help of Tsunade. "Are you okay Naruto?" Tsunade asked to which Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I just haven't gotten that transformation down completely" he said with a small smile which caused Tsunade to smile. Jiraiya looked at the two before entering into the conversation. "Are you kidding me? That's all you have to ask Tsunade. Naruto, you completely disregarded us in that battle back there which is cause for demotion at least. Most importantly, you had a member of the Shinigami's Blade that was willing to tell us the location of their base! So help me Kami, I'll make sure that you suffer the consequences for this boy" Jiraiya said irate that his chance to find his godchildren was lost because of Naruto.

Both Naruto and Tsunade looked at Jiraiya as if he were crazy. Naruto slowly stood up with assistance from Tsunade. "Jiraiya first of all there is no way he would have actually given up that information. Second, how the hell would we contain him? You heard what he said. He was more powerful than Iliel who beat three kage at the same time without even trying meaning that he would have killed us all. You may be willing to put everyone's lives at risk for a chance at information on Menma and Narumi, but I won't" Naruto said before running to the rebel base without using chakra leaving an angry Jiraiya and a concerned Tsunade.

Jiraiya watched the blonde go before quickly turning to Tsunade. "Tsunade you-" "Enough!" shouted Tsunade interrupting Jiraiya. "I have been your teammate and your friend for more years than I will admit but something has changed in you. The amount of hatred you display towards that boy is sickening. You used to be a kind man that believed in people who most would write off immediately. What ever happened to that Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked before sighing and looking away from her teammate. "Jiraiya, I've made mistakes with Naruto but I want to get back into his life. You told me in that bar during the chunin exams that you regretted alienating Naruto. That you wanted his forgiveness. You said that yet you changed your entire mindset completely. Jiraiya, I can no longer support you if you continue to act this way. Until you make amends with that boy, you may not count on me. I don't know what has happened to you but unless you fix it soon, you'll lose everyone around you" Tsunade said before rushing to catch up with her godson.

The toad sage was left alone in the clearing to think upon Tsunade's words. 'Why can't they see how important Menma and Narumi are? What if Tsunade's right? What if I truly lose everyone?' Jiraiya thought as he eventually took off to catch up with his group.

* * *

Fucking hell that was weird to write. I hope you liked the chapter even though I'm pretty sure I butchered what density is. The transformation is his sage mode and he will get better at using it. I also know that I've been going back and forth with Jiraiya with him having like one good moment compared to everything else. I actually like Jiraiya so I don't think that he will stay as the biggest dick in the universe. If he changes which is probable, it will be late Kiri arc so fingers crossed.

*IMPORTANT*

I probably should have put this first. Anyway, I know that the fight with Karasala wasn't the most exciting and the Shinigami's Blade look kinda pathetic at the moment having lost two members to one guy, but they are going to get stronger and increase their numbers soon. Menma and Narumi will also be getting a lot stronger as well.

Once again I hope that you liked it and if you have any questions or comments then review!


	23. New information and a new acquaintance

Animaman: I like the idea of Menma and Narumi forcing Jiraiya to acknowledge that they are bad by beating the hell out of him. I think that the conversation with Minato and Orochimaru will hinge upon what happens in Kiri because I think that this will be where he develops a "I was wrong" or "Lock Naruto up" mentality. He will could also get better and more understanding of Naruto but still a little reluctant to give up on the twins, I'm still deciding. I don't plan on giving Naruto a second sword just because of the power that his current one has not to mention his trident, but I like the idea of getting a sword in Kiri so the sword may just be given to another character like Itachi or Konan or Kushina.

Zero fullbuster: Thanks for the comment and I'm glad that you've liked it so far. I hope that you like this chapter and the future ones as well.

PinkiePieParty122894: Appreciate the support as always and hope that you like this one.

DxGRAYxMAN: Kind of except that it only has three prongs and I think his has like five or something but they look similar.

Gammagyro: I like the CRA idea and I will probably have a council meeting where they make a bunch of stupid demands and Minato takes control and repeals it. I kind of put a little of Yakumo's territorial side into this chapter and it will definitely come out when they meet Shion. #LandofDemonsconfirmed. I plan on bringing Sakura a little more into the fold as maybe an additional member as a medic so Yakumo may learn some medical techniques but I don't think so for Sasuke. Yakumo will be stealthy but genjutsu will be a large part of her stealth and assassination. I can definitely see Sasuke learning traps especially after this Kiri arc. They have killed in Wave so they just do what they have to do. I like the techniques you mentioned especially the scythe attacks. Also Happy Birthday!

1995hzq: Yeah still deciding exactly which type of wakeup call Jiraiya will get.

New Elements92: Two down but it's gonna get a little more difficult from now on. Glad you like it.

IGT: Sorry that you didn't like it, I did put it through a fast pace and I'm trying to improve but hope you find a good fanfic to read.

Aclux: I guess asking if you like Jiraiya, Menma, and Narumi would be redundant lol. The twins will get whats coming to them and Jiraiya might change or he might not but he may get a lesson later on. Glad you are liking it.

Guest: I try, I try.

monsterkillers124: Not too sure what you mean in your review but I hope you like the story.

* * *

(Unknown Location)

Tsuranabi stood in a dead landscape. No trees, withered grass, dark skies and grey ground. Behind the leader of the Shinigami's Blade stood Sashira, Kuro, Menma, and Narumi. All members of the Shinigami's Blade were gathered together in this land of despair.

After a long period of silence, Tsuranabi finally spoke, still turned away from his companions. "Long ago, a woman was sent by her clan to Earth in order to find what was called the God Tree. The tree was rumored to have an insurmountable amount of power within. The woman sent was named Kaguya Otsutsuki" Tsuranabi said turning to his group. "Upon arriving on this planet, Kaguya began her search for the God Tree. After a fair amount of time searching, the woman encountered a group of people in what was called "The Land of Ancestors". Look around for you stand on the remains of the Land of Ancestors" Tsuranabi said raising his arms as the rest of the group looked around at their surroundings without a word before putting their attention back on Tsuranabi.

"After Kaguya encountered the people of the Land of Ancestors, she was brought to the emperor of their people. The emperor was a man who wanted peace in this world more than anything and wanted to achieve it without any violence. His name was Tenji" Tsuranabi said turning back around away from his group. "Tenji's goal for peace was similar to Kaguya's own hopes and dreams of true peace which caused the two to become close. The emperor and Kaguya became lovers who truly loved one another dearly until Kaguya did something unforgivable in Tenji's eyes. Another nation that had been antagonistic towards the Land of Ancestors sent a group of men to kidnap Kaguya herself but were killed as Kaguya defended herself. Upon learning of what his lover had done, Tenji was disgusted at Kaguya's actions and sent hunters to capture Kaguya to bring her to justice. Kaguya ran from hunters sent by the very man that held her heart until she couldn't run anymore. As she fell from exhaustion unable to run any longer, Kaguya looked upwards to see the most beautiful tree she had ever seen."

Tsuranabi crossed his arms before continuing. "Kaguya was so hungry that she reached up and took a fruit from the tree. Upon eating the fruit, Kaguya was given incredible power which turned her into a goddess, She had found the God Tree. Once the hunters arrived, they witnessed what Kaguya had become. Tenji had been leading this particular group of hunters and saw the unmatched power that Kaguya held from the God Tree. When Kaguya saw Tenji, she became enraged at showed no mercy towards the men that had been sent by her former lover. It wasn't long until she faced Tenji for the last time. With a heavy heart, Kaguya ended her beloved's life. It is said that while Kaguya cried as she killed Tenji, Tenji cried as well from the regret and shame of trying to kill his lover. After the confrontation, Kaguya looked upon the God Tree and destroyed it believing that peace could only be obtained if she were to take control of the world" the man said with a sigh.

"Later on, Kaguya discovered that she was pregnant and gave birth to two sons, Hagoromo and Homura. To demonstrate her love for her children, she allowed them to have chakra as well. Unfortunately for Kaguya, her loved ones betrayed her once again as Hagoromo and Homura sealed their mother into the moon. That is the true story of the beginning of chakra. That was supposed to be all there was to it" Tsuranabi said tightly gripping his fists and gritting his teeth. "Before Kaguya was sealed, she passed her will and chakra into a being known as black zetsu making it the first true jinchuriki. Eventually, black zetsu's time came and so he passed the ten tails and Kaguya's will on to the next ten tails jinchuriki and so on. I am the current holder of the ten tailed beast and the first wielder of a biju weapon. The difference between me and other jinchuriki is that I hold pure chakra, chakra that comes from the God Tree. Other jinchuriki and anything to do with chakra is tainted and impure as they do not come directly from the Tree itself. That would mean that no obstacle could get in our way" Tsuranabi said ignoring the angry glares from the Kyuubi jinchuriki at being called tainted.

"I have recently learned of an unmentioned aspect of the story of chakra. Seeing the effect that the fruit of the God Tree had on Kaguya, Tenji took a fruit himself but only planned to eat half in order to keep from gaining too much power. He took the sword of one of his nearby men and sliced the fruit in half but was caught by Kaguya before he could eat the fruit. After Kaguya killed Tenji, she absorbed the God Tree and left the area quickly. If she had surveyed the area then she would have noticed what has become our greatest obstacle yet. The last fruit that had been cut in half laid next to the sword and slowly but surely that sword absorbed the power of the God Tree. The sword that Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze wields has a history as old as chakra and is the only other pure chakra weapon in existence. Once I discovered this, I thought back to when our former member and Naruto's former master fought against me. She was by far my most challenging opponent but I was able to land a number of hits that would inevitably cause her death so I waited. Once she died, the power that had flowed through her and her sword would be absorbed by me and I would have no equal" Tsuranabi said grabbing his hair.

"But Sera caught on to my plan as soon as she left. She found that boy shortly after leaving and lived just long enough for him to kill her robbing me of absorbing her power. Sera's power passed on to Naruto and he now holds one of the most powerful weapons in existence. The boy is at his strongest in the moonlight so that is when I will face him and finally hold all of the pure chakra left on this world" Tsuranabi said with a wide smile. He looked over at Sashira who had raised her hand for a question. "Yes Sashira?" Tsuranabi asked. Sashira quickly responded. "Why face him at his strongest, why not wait until his weakest point?" she asked to which Tsuranabi smirked. "If I kill him when he is not at full power, the pure chakra will simply dissipate and find not only another form but another user as well. If I kill him at his strongest, I will absorb not only his power, but his sword's power as well" he said and looked at Menma and Narumi who were glaring at him. "I take it you have a problem with my plan?" the leader asked.

Menma snorted at the question while Narumi took it upon herself to answer the question. "We came with you because you promised us the opportunity to kill Naruto. I refuse to let him die at the hands of anyone but my brother and I" she said but her and her brother immediately fell to the ground. Killing intent on a level past biju was thrust upon the two by Tsuranabi. "Fools. The both of you are arrogant fools. If you were to challenge Naruto, he would end you both in one swipe of his sword. When I offered you a way to kill Naruto, I did not know at the time that he held a weapon made of pure chakra but knowing differently now drastically changes the situation. I will be the one who kills him and takes the remaining pure chakra. Once that happens, there will be one voice, one opinion, one mindset. Peace by submission and the realization of Kaguya Otsutsuki's dream" Tsuranabi said.

Kuro, the forgotten member of the Shinigami's Blade felt the need to speak up at his leader's comment. "After all this is said and done, where does that leave us?" Kuro asked while the other four members looked at the man questioningly. "Each of you will be representatives of mine for specific regions that I send you to. You will report to me and be my right hand and oversee the people" Tsuranabi said to which Kuro sighed and nodded.

* * *

(Naruto)

Naruto sat against a tree panting hard. He had just ran to get away from Jiraiya. The man infuriated him to no end, a man who cared more about prophecies than people's lives. Just as the boy was about to close his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of yet another Sannin. Naruto kept his eyes on Tsunade as she approached him with her hands up in a surrender motion but kept a small smile on her face. Slowly, she kneeled in front of Naruto and her hand began to glow green. Looking up at Naruto she asked, "May I?" to which Naruto nodded. After getting his approval, Tsunade went about her business as a medic nin diagnosing his health issues. After her diagnosis she looked at Naruto concerned. "You used a lot of chakra once again Naruto. It'll take some time before you can use any jutsu. I also noticed a severe amount of muscle strain on your body which I can attribute to your earlier transformation?" Tsunade asked to which Naruto nodded. "I'll say this Naruto, you can take a punch" she said before hitting the blonde boy upside the head. "That's for not listening to me about going overboard with your chakra brat" Tsunade said but with a smirk. To her surprise, Naruto smiled a very small smile as well.

Tsunade picked Naruto up after her medical evaluation. "What are you doing?" asked Naruto looking at her as if she was crazy. Tsunade shook her head. "You are to strained to travel a long distance without rest and we still have to make it back to the checkpoint so suck it up and be quiet" she said before taking off with a very confused chunin in her arms. Before the two could take off, Jiraiya burst onto the scene looking at the two together and narrowing his eyes. "We're late because of that fight so we need to double time it to Kushina's location" Jiraiya said before dashing forward. Naruto clenched his jaw at Jiraiya's not so subtle way of saying "it's all your fault". Tsunade sighed and took off behind Jiraiya with Naruto in her arms.

* * *

(Kushina)

Kushina sat with her group around her in the base of the Kiri rebels. While Itachi spoke with a few of the senior members there, the red head kept her fists clenched. She was scared. Her baby was out there fighting people that she couldn't possibly hope to take on. Sure he had two Sannin backing him up but the member that had invaded Konoha was able to take out three kages and a jinchuriki. If not for Naruto, that swordsman could have very well been the end of the Hidden Leaf Village. Instead, her son fought bravely and brilliantly as he defended his village in a way very few could. It made her so proud but at the same time so worried. There was a group out there that had members far more powerful than the one Konoha had faced and they were going to be going after her son eventually. Fighting the urge to cry, she couldn't help but berate herself for letting her son go after the opponent they had all felt. She knew that it had to be a Shinigami's Blade member and yet she still let Naruto go.

Kushina looked up as she continued to force herself not to cry but the urge was overwhelming. Thinking over what else could have been done, her eyes widened and she started shaking as she remembered one key detail just now. Naruto was at his strongest at night. In fact, the only reason he was able to beat Iliel was due to it being nighttime when they fought. This time, she had sent her son during the day, without any combat advantage, to face one of the most potentially dangerous adversaries in the entire world. Her concentration and self loathing were broken up when she felt a hand on hers. Looking at the person holding her hand, she saw Yakumo who was looking at her with a sad smile and slightly puffy eyes. Kushina slowly brought her son's girlfriend into a hug.

Sasuke watched the interaction and snorted. "I don't know why you two are so sad, no one can take on Naruto. He'll be back soon so dry your eyes, it's unbecoming of a kunoitchi" Sasuke said looking away from the two. 'Hurry your ass up you idiot' the Uchiha thought. Sasuke turned to see his brother and Konan approaching gaining everyone's attention.

"Itachi what's happening?" asked Kushina. Konan crossed her arms as Itachi explained. "Kushina, the rebels are outnumbered by a fair amount and they are disappointed to say the least at the fact that Konoha only sent one group of ninja despite the skill set of some of us. The Hidden Mist Village isn't far yet the rebels have been able to keep their base undiscovered otherwise this whole civil war would be over. Unfortunately, the Mizukage has gained a tip to where we and the rebels are. He's planning on not only sending an army, but joining in on the fight as well. If that happens then the Kiri rebellion will be no more and we can forget about Kiri helping us against the Shinigami's Blade" Itachi said. Kushina pinched the bridge of her nose in thought. "Okay so-", Kushina was unable to finish as shouting became audible nearby. Raising an eyebrow, she and her group left their tent to investigate the commotion.

(Naruto, Tsunade, Jiraiya)

"I'm one of the ninja sent by Konoha, I'm one of the Sannin for Kami's sake. Let me through so I can get him some help!" Tsunade shouted at two Kiri rebels who were holding her up with kunai pointed at her. Jiraiya kept his arms crossed and counted in his head how long it was going to take for his teammate to send these rebels flying with her punches. Naruto was now standing but he still needed Tsunade's support to stay up and was currently in a fair amount of pain. Tsunade's shouting made three more Kiri rebels come to confront the Sannin while also gaining the attention of half the area.

"They're with us" shouted Kushina after hearing Tsunade's voice causing the rebels to relax and step away. Once they had left the immediate area, Kushina looked back towards Tsunade only to see her son in an injured state. Running over to Naruto, she quickly began looking over him. "Naruto, are you okay? Where are you hurt? I was so worried" Kushina said rapidly causing Tsunade to chuckle, Jiraiya to roll his eyes, and Naruto to sweat drop. "I'm fine mom, just a little sore that's all" Naruto said in an attempt to calm his mother down. Tsunade stepped forward in order to help her godson out. "Kushina, his muscles are heavily strained from his battle so he needs to rest. Where are we staying" the Senju asked to which Kushina nodded and proceeded to show the three to the tent.

Upon reaching the tent, Naruto was met with the familiar sight of his team. Itachi and Konan both held blank looks upon their faces, Sasuke was smirking, and Yakumo was smiling with watery eyes. Just before Naruto could reach the group, Yakumo dashed from her spot and tackled her boyfriend taking him to the ground. Naruto groaned in pain while Yakumo rambled about how he would suffer consequences for making her worry and something about a guide to relationships book that she was always referencing. Kushina looked at scene with a smile before eventually pulling the brown haired genjutsu user off of her son. "Yakumo, Naruto needs to rest okay?" the red head asked to which her student reluctantly nodded.

Naruto slowly got up off of the ground with the help of Tsunade and the group entered the tent where Naruto was quickly laid down on a cot. While everyone surrounded Naruto asking him questions about his fight, Jiraiya was able to get Kushina to join him outside of the tent. Once the two were outside and away from everyone else, Kushina spoke first. "What is it Jiraiya?" the red head asked. Jiraiya was quiet for a long moment before crossing his arms and looking into Kushina's eyes. "Kushina, I think that Naruto is intentionally trying to keep us from rescuing Menma and Narumi" the Toad Sannin said to which Kushina narrowed her eyes sharply at the man. "When we faced off against the person that created the massive chakra pulse earlier, we found out that he was a member of the Shinigami's Blade. Naruto was able to defeat him but when the man offered to give up the location of the Shinigami's Blade Base, Naruto killed him without a second thought. We need to decide what punishment Naruto is to receive before-" Jiraiya was interrupted by a punch to the face from Kushina. "Kushina what the hell?" Jiraiya asked getting off the ground. "Jiraiya you senile old fool, my son defeats someone stronger than the kages themselves and you believe that he should be punished?" Kushina asked with a glare. Jiraiya growled in response. "If he hadn't killed the man then we could have found out where Menma and Narumi were. My Kami, am I the only one who cares about finding Menma and Narumi anymore?" Jiraiya asked but immediately regretted as Kushina began to leak killing intent of the likes he had never seen.

"You dare to say that I don't care about my children? I loved Menma and Narumi from the moment I found out that I was pregnant and I will continue to love them despite any choice they make. I pray to Kami every night that my children will be okay and for them to come back to me, but I recognize what has happened. Because of my misgivings as a mother, I turned them into arrogant and spoiled children who believed that it was acceptable to kill their brother. I won't stand for that. I will find them one day, but for now I will support my eldest son in any way I can and prepare to defend this world which is something that you should focus on as well Jiraiya" she said walking back to the tent. Just before entering the tent, Kushina stopped and looked at Jiraiya. "Jiraiya if you do anything to Naruto or anything to jeopardize my relationship with my son, I will kill you in ways that will make the Shinigami itself sick to the stomach" Kushina warned not waiting for a response and entering the tent.

(Inside of the tent)

Naruto was lying on the cot smirking while Tsunade told Team 11 and Konan about Naruto's fight with Karasala when Kushina entered. As Tsunade continued the story, Sasuke and Yakumo's eyes were widened in awe but Kushina, Itachi, and Konan each had concerned looks on their faces. "So it's safe to assume that every member of the Shinigami's Blade has some sort of ability that adds to their unmatched weapon prowess" stated Itachi to which Naruto nodded. Kushina and Itachi looked down in thought about the new revelation while Konan continued to look at Naruto.

"You've been speaking with Sera haven't you?" asked the blue haired kunoitchi making everyone look at Konan in confusion then back to Naruto. The blonde looked at Konan for a long moment before nodding. "When I first entered the Realm of the Serpents I had to interact with a special stone. It turns out that Sera had sealed a fixed amount of her essence into the stone allowing her presence to take form within my mindscape. I've had a few conversations with her trying to figure out more about the Shinigami's Blade" Naruto said as Konan kept a blank look on her face. Sasuke stood up with a question on his mind for his blonde friend. "Why would Sera know anything about the Shinigami's Blade?" the Uchiha asked. Naruto sighed at the question. "Because she fought them. There are certain restrictions that were placed on her by the leader that makes her unable to tell me about their skills or special abilities but she was able to tell me about their goal. Peace by submission" he said. "The Shinigami's Blade have something up their sleeve in order to make their plan a reality but I don't know what" the blonde swordsman said. "Well that's too bad" said a voice from behind the group causing everyone to turn quickly.

The voice belonged to a tall beautiful brunette who had a seductive smile plastered on her face. "Hello Konoha nin I am Mei Terumi, the leader of the Kiri rebels" she said. Before anyone could greet her back or even properly react to her presence, Yakumo pushed everyone out of the way and started to rapidly bow to the woman. "Thank you Kami! Mei Terumi, may I call you Mei, you are my idol. I've read your relationship book over six hundred times and have memorized it from start to finish. It is such an honor to meet you" Yakumo said quickly, completely fangirling over her favorite author. Mei smiled at the adoration she was receiving from the young kunoitchi. "I assume that you have claimed him as yours completely then?" Mei said causing everyone to look at the girl while she blushed bright red. Kushina on the other hand had fire blazing from her eyes at the possibility that her son's innocence had been taken. When Yakumo didn't answer, everyone turned their heads to look at Naruto who was also blushing. Seeing his mother's expression, Naruto quickly put his hands up. "We haven't gone that far not that it's any of your business" Naruto said before his mother came up to him and smacked him upside the head. "I AM YOUR MOTHER EVERYTHING IS MY BUSINESS" Kushina shouted in a demonic tone.

Mei looked at Naruto with a lick of her lips. "You've chosen a fine partner that's for sure. I would hurry up if I were you because who knows what type of woman will go for him when he's a couple of years older" Mei said winking at Naruto. Immediately after winking, she felt a curved blade at her neck. Looking at the source, she wasn't surprised to see the blushing brunette with a dark look on her face now holding a weapon to her. "Rule 374: Do whatever is necessary to stop slutty skanks from trying to take what's yours" she said coldly to which Mei chuckled sultrily. "My my, you really have read my book. I must say that I'm impressed" Mei said before leaning down to Yakumo. "Let me know in a couple of years if you ever want to make things more exciting" Mei whispered making Yakumo go bright red and slowly nod before sealing up her scythe.

Mei looked back around the Konoha group. "I ask for help in our civil war and your Hokage saw it necessary to send only you?" she asked crossing her arms in a slight amount of frustration. "Mei, my husband sent only us because each of us are proficient enough to help turn the tide for your side. He has sent you two Sannin, myself who is Sannin level, Itachi Uchiha who is nearly Sannin level, Konan who is nearly as strong as Itachi, Sasuke Uchiha who is one of our most premier chunin, Yakumo Kurama who is one of our village's strongest genjutsu users already, and my son who has defeated enemies that three kage combined couldn't defeat. WE will get the job done" Kushina said determined to get her point across.

Mei looked at Kushina and then the group for a long moment before nodding. "I guess I have no other choice. In a few days, There is an advancement force of the Mizukage's forces of seventy ninja on their way. We will need your help in defeating you so be ready to move tomorrow" she said before turning to leave but not before giving a quick wink ti Itachi who was standing nearby making the ever stoic Uchiha go slightly red.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hope everyone enjoyed. I wanna thank you all for the reviews and favorites, it really means a lot to know that people appreciate what you're doing. I tried to put a little bit of background on Tsuranabi and Naruto's line of swordsmen which I plan to expand upon later. I hope that I continue to impress so I'll see you next chapter.


	24. Infiltration and Interrogation

PinkiePieParty122894: Glad that you liked the chapter and hope that you like this one as well.

Animaman: I'm glad you liked the history lesson. I felt like Naruto's sword and why it's so powerful was too much of a loose end and I wanted there to be an explanation. I also wanted there to be a reason why they aren't just attacking Naruto during the day. I recently decided xxSPOILER ALERTxx that the twins will have a fight with Naruto later in the Kiri arc. I may put flashbacks later on for the twins and might even connect them with Jiraiya flashbacks. I also just decided that xxSPOILER ALERTxx Jiraiya will decide that Naruto is good but will go off to find the twins because he believes that there is still hope and a fight will ensue. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.

zero fullbuster: Happy that you like it and Jiraiya's attitude will kind of improve in the future and whether or not he dies, well I'll keep that a secret.

1995hzq: Hope you're enjoying it and hope I continue to entertain.

Aclux: I'm happy that you're enjoying it so much and Jiraiya's attitude will get better but later on in the story he will get a beat down that will either kill him or won't. I haven't decided if he lives or dies but I think I'll have my mind made up about his fate soon.

* * *

(Kiri)

Kushina, Konan, Sasuke, and Yakumo were jumping through the trees on their way towards a force of seventy Kiri ninja. Along with the four were three Kiri rebels who were assigned to accompany the Konoha nin. The mission was simple, scout the enemy and try to figure out which direction they were going to head and whether or not they were readying up for an attack. The rebels would be unable to stand an invasion of the Mizukage's forces which is why this small group had to make sure that the ninja never found the rebel base.

It took around three hours before the group reached the field in which the seventy Kiri ninja had set up camp. Upon finding their objective, each of the Konoha nin and Kiri rebels stopped in their tracks. Looking over the large camp, the group jumped off of their respective trees and landed quietly on the ground. Coming together, Kushina looked at each of the ninja surrounding her. "Okay you three, is there anything Mei told you to specifically look for?" Kushina asked the three rebels. Looking at each other for a short moment, a grey haired rebel stepped forward and addressed the question. "We were told to follow your lead. You're the Red Hot Habanero and we're only chunin level after all" the rebel said causing Kushina to mentally shake her head. Turning to her fellow Konoha nin, Kushina didn't even have to ask the question before Sasuke spoke up. "I may have something" the Uchiha said before biting his thumb and whispering "Summoning Jutsu". A small puff of smoke appeared after Sasuke said the words and soon after, a small crow was in place of the smoke.

"Hello Sasuke, how may I be of service?" asked the crow politely. "Dai, nearby is a camp of seventy Kiri ninja. I need for you to quickly find any information that could be of use in terms of movement or attack plans. Make sure to disguise yourself" Sasuke responded to which the crow nodded. After nodding, the crow closed it's eyes before it's image began to shimmer. Soon after, the crow was no longer visible to the human eye. Once invisible, the crow took off in the direction of the camp as Sasuke watched. "Good luck Dai" Sasuke whispered before looking back at his group. "He should be fine, only those with the sharingan or byakugan would be able to see him" Sasuke said causing everyone to nod.

Nearly an hour later, the small group of ninja were sitting and waiting when Sasuke stood up. Ten seconds later, the crow known as Dai shimmered into visibility for the rest of the group to see. "Dai, were you able to find anything out?" Sasuke asked. The crow shook his head. "I am sorry Sasuke. I was unable to find any information about their plans or movements. I was able to see however that they are not very alert towards attack, possibly due to the large number of ninja they have in their group. From their chakra levels, I was able to deduce that there are fifty chunin level and twenty jounin level ninja. I am sorry that I could not do more" the crow said looking down. Sasuke shook his head at the apology. "You did fine Dai, thank you you're dismissed" Sasuke said to which the crow nodded and poofed out of existence. Turning to look at the rest of the group, he noticed Kushina and Konan focusing on his brown haired teammate.

Kushina put her hand on Yakumo's shoulder causing the girl to look up. "Yakumo, it's time" the red head said as Konan gave a slight nod in agreement. Yakumo quickly nodded and lowered herself to her knees. Closing her eyes, Yakumo put her hands together and whispered "Death's Maiden".

* * *

(Kiri Camp)

Seventy ninja resided in their camp awaiting orders from their Mizukage. They were on the verge of finding the rebels' base and when that happened, a full scale invasion would take place led by the Mizukage himself. Until then, the men simply relaxed and talked among each other. Whether it was about what would happen in the final battle or what type of "prizes" they would keep as a reward for finishing off the rebels, the men conversed energetically. Lin, a jounin ninja stood near his tent and admired the camp. This scene of men bonding together before fighting for a noble cause made him smile. The end of the Kiri civil war would allow many of these men to return to their lives, to their families. Family, a word that Lin had not truly understood until spending extended amounts of time with ninja that had families. Midway through the war, Lin had decided that when the war was finished, he would find a beautiful woman back home and start a family of his home. Suddenly a warm feeling came over Ling's entire being.

"Why wait?" whispered an angelic voice. Looking around, Lin was surprised to see a woman standing close and looking right at him. He could hardly call her a woman as that seemed to be an insult to the figure in front of him. A goddess is what stood in front looking at him. Long beautiful black hair, pale skin, perfect curves. She was everything that any man could imagine seeing in his ideal woman. Lin's heart soared just from her appearance alone. He stood up straight when the goddess began to approach with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She stopped right in front of Lin and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking him directly in the eye. "Do you think I'm beautiful?" she asked to which Lin quickly nodded unable to speak. "Do you wish to be with me?" she asked to which Lin nodded once again. "What would you do for me?" the goddess asked. "Anything" Lin quickly answered. The woman took her right hand and caressed his cheek. "There is only one way that we can be together" she said looking away with a slightly sad expression on her face which caused Lin to frown. Lin took her face and lifted it to look into her eyes.

"Name it" Lin said. The woman looked into his eyes for a long while before putting her mouth near his ear. "Through eternity" she whispered before looking back at him with a tearful expression. Lin frowned once again. Such an expression should never mar a face as beautiful as hers. "Is that truly the only way?" Lin asked to which the woman nodded. "Unfortunately so. You do not have to join me in eternity, I will stay alone if I must. But if you do join me, your pleasure will never end. You will never want or need ever again. I will give you everything, I will be yours forever" she said looking at him. Lin took a long moment to decide before nodding at her offer. He reached into his pouch and retrieved a kunai, completely unaware that a majority of the camp was doing the exact same thing. "I will see you in eternity my goddess" Lin said before shoving the kunai in his throat and falling to the ground. Seconds later, the man known as Lin was no longer among the living.

Thirty nine men committed the same action as Lin only seconds apart. Forty men in total had each committed suicide in some fashion in the hopes of spending eternity with a goddess. Unfortunately, there would be no goddess to greet them in the afterlife as was promised to them.

* * *

(Konoha Group)

Yakumo oped her eyes and gasped for air. Kushina and Konan were quickly at her side helping her to breath while Sasuke and the Kiri rebels wondered what the brunette had done to cause such a reaction. Shortly after Yakumo had opened her eyes, she began to breathe steadily. Standing up, Kushina looked at the Kiri rebels. "You will protect her with your lives. If anything happens to her, you and your entire rebellion will die. I will see to it myself" the red head finished getting three shaky nods in response. Looking at Konan and Sasuke she simply said "Let's go" before taking off towards the camp quietly. The three Konoha ninja made their way to the camp easily due to the mild panic of the Kiri ninja finding more than half of their numbers dead by suicide.

Hiding nearby, Kushina closed her eyes and focused on the remaining chakra sources. "Thirty ninja left. They're spread out in groups of ten" Kushina said opening her eyes. Konan nodded at the evaluation. "So ten for each of us right?" Konan asked. Kushina looked at Sasuke before responding. "Sasuke, each of the ninja left are jounin level ninja. You were able to take down multiple enemies in Wave but those were just bandits. We won't think less of you if decide to hang back" she said. The Uchiha simply snorted and bit his thumb rubbing some blood over his arm in order to summon his spear. "It doesn't matter what level they are, I'm an Uchiha. Besides, what kind of ninja would I be if I ran away every time the odds were slightly in the enemy's favor?" he said now gripping his spear in hand. Kushina smiled and Konan gave a small smirk at the announcement.

"Listen, we need at least one alive to question. Other than that, don't take chances and stay alive" she said getting nods from Sasuke and Konan before each of the three took off in separate directions towards the camp.

* * *

(Kiri Camp Konan)

Konan watched as her target group looked around for any enemy they could find that would explain the mass suicide that had just taken place. The bluenette smirked and shook her head. her student had done her job well and now it was time for Konan to do her job. Closing her eyes, the blue haired ninja separated into hundreds of pieces of paper.

Nearby, ten Kiri nin were looking around constantly and trying to locate anyone that could be out there with ill intentions towards them. Forty of their brothers in arms were dead by apparent suicide but the Kiri nin knew that there was more to it and they just didn't know what. The ignorance of who or where their enemy was kept each man on edge. Unable to stand it anymore, a gray haired Kiri ninja threw his kunai down and grabbed his hair harshly. "What the fuck man!". The apparent leader of the ten man group looked at his outspoken member with a glare. "Be silent and focus on finding the enemy" he said before looking into the trees for some sort of clue. The gray haired man shook his head and started to walk away. "What's the point? According to whatever was just used, we're already dead right?" the man said shaking heavily while a few of the other ninja started to see logic in what their stressed teammate was saying.

"You're correct, you are already dead" said a soft voice from above. At the sound of the voice, the ninja looked up where a blue haired kunoitchi stood on a branch looking down on them. "Are you the one who did this bitch?" shouted the Kiri leader. Reaching to his side, the leader pulled a katana from its sheath without taking his eyes off of Konan. Konan looked at the leader and chuckled. "From what it looks like, your fellow ninja killed themselves and if you really think that your sword will save you, you're wrong. Of course you may try to kill me if you dare" Konan said with a smirk. The Kiri leader clenched his jaw and tightened his grip around his sheath. "Oh we won't kill you. First we'll take you back to our main forces as special entertainment which should knock that cocky smirk off your face. You will service every member of the Kiri forces until we've decided that your of no use anymore. Afterwards, you'll be tortured nonstop until you are shattered without an ounce of will left in your body. Then we will kill you for your transgressions" growled out the leader while the other Kiri nin got greedy smiles on their faces.

Konan frowned at the Kiri leader's threat and the way that his fellow ninja were looking at her. Narrowing her eyes at the men, she took a deep breath. "Dance of the Shikigami" Konan whispered before her body dispersed into hundreds of sheets of paper. One of the Kiri ninja looked at the tree branch where Konan had just been standing. "Did she run a-", the man never finished his sentence as a sheet of paper with an edge reinforced with chakra slit his throat causing him to fall onto the ground and trying but failing to stop the bleeding. The other men's eyes widened and before any action could be taken, a whirlwind of paper began to fly around them trapping them inside. Not knowing when Konan would strike, a few of the ninja began to get back to back with one another. This effort was shown to be futile as instead of a single sheet of paper, a large spear of paper stabbed through two men who were back to back. One by one six other nin dropped dead whether it was a simple slice or a brutal stab, in the span of less than a minute the leader of the Kiri group was the only one left alive.

The Kiri leader closed his eyes and gripped his sword. He would not give the blue haired bitch the satisfaction of killing him. Turning the blade to stab himself, he was quickly stopped as a thick line of paper wrapped around his wrist crushing it and causing the leader to drop the sword in the process. The whirlwind dissipated and left Konan herself standing right in front of the leader. "I'm no one's entertainment" she said before knocking the man out to take him back to Yakumo and the others.

* * *

(Sasuke)

Sasuke took a look at his assigned group quickly with his sharingan active. His brother had told him before they left that there was no room for pride or holding back in a war. It was all or nothing, life or death. Personally, the Uchiha was nervous. He had killed in Wave, but that was only because it was in the heat of the battle. What he was being asked to do was to calculate and act on ending another man's life. Closing his eyes and taking a small breath, he bit his thumb and slid the blood across a seal on his arm which summoned his spear. Holding his weapon made Sasuke feel much better and much more confident. 'You can do this. You have to do this' thought Sasuke. The black haired Uchiha stood tall and unconsciously rested his spear on his shoulder like Naruto always did with his sword before vanishing in crow feathers.

There were ten ninja looking around for any evidence of foul play in the deaths of their fellow nin. The Kiri nin were pretty sure that someone had used some sort of advanced genjutsu to force their brothers in arms to do actions against their will. It made the Kiri ninja angry that one would think so little of the Kiri forces that they would be so susceptible to genjutsu even though the evidence solidified the fact. Each one of the ninja continued to look for any type of clue while keeping on alert for additional genjutsu. It was because the ninja were so heavily focused on sensing any fluctuation nearby that they were able to turn just in time to see Sasuke appear behind them with his spear at his side.

Immediately after materializing, Sasuke stabbed forward with his spear in hopes of killing the nearest Kiri ninja but it didn't work out as planned because they had sensed his arrival and he no longer had the element of surprise on his side. His spear was stopped by the Kiri ninja's sword as his fellow ninja readied their weapons. The Kiri ninja smirked at Sasuke as he held the Uchiha in a deadlock. The smirk died when a burst of electricity shot through Sasuke's spear to the Kiri ninja's sword and into the ninja himself. The man fell to the ground convulsing as electricity rushed through his body. The remaining nine Kiri ninja's eyes widened at the sight but quickly refocused on the boy. Four of the ninja rushed Sasuke with their sword while the other five prepared to launch a jutsu. Each swordsman attacked Sasuke one at a time, but Sasuke moved swiftly by deflecting a sword blow with one side of his spear and stabbing the enemy with the other side. He had activated his sharingan already so he was dodging the attacks directed at him easy enough, it also helped that he sparred with one of the strongest swordsmen alive. Before long, each of the four swordsmen were on the ground with multiple stab wounds but still alive. Turning towards the remaining five ninja, he had to jump quickly to avoid their attack.

"Water Bullet" shouted the remaining five Kiri ninja at once before simultaneously launching five streams of water at the Uchiha who jumped up just in time to avoid the attack. Still in midair, Sasuke reached out his free hand and shouted "Solar Destruction" as a large ball of fire flew from his hand at the continuing streams of water making the jutsus collide. The result was a mass of steam that surrounded the area. One of the Kiri ninja started to chuckle at the result. "Was this your plan kid? Get it a little misty in hopes that we couldn't see you? We live in this stuff" he said starting to laugh. As his laughter got louder, his fellow ninja joined in. As the mist started to clear, Sasuke's image became clear to the eyes of the Kiri ninja. "So kid, guess your plan didn't work out huh?" said a smiling Kiri ninja. The smile turned into a frown as Sasuke smirked. "Actually, it worked out perfectly" the Uchiha said before throwing his spear into the air. "You see, lightning is pretty lethal when water is present" he said looking at the men whose clothes and skin were damp from the mist created earlier. Knowing his plan now, each ninja's eyes widened in terror.

Looking into the air, Sasuke shouted "Lightning Rain" as bolts of electricity rained down from his spear and electrocuted each of the men present. When the deed was done, the spear began to fall to the ground but was caught in one hand by Sasuke. The Uchiha cursed that he had forgotten to take a prisoner before taking off towards Yakumo, hoping that Kushina or Konan had captured someone.

* * *

(Kushina)

A group of ten Kiri jounin were on high alert after finding a majority of their fellow nin dead. "Man, what the fuck is going on?" asked a dark haired jounin who was slightly shaking. The leader of the small group shook his head. "I don't know but I'm willing to bet that it's what the Mizukage warned us about. Apparently Konoha joined up with the rebels and I'm guessing that one of their ninja cast some sort of jutsu on them. Don't worry though, once we find the bastard who did this we'll make them suffer" the man said with a smile. His men joined with their own smiles but unfortunately it didn't last long. From what seemed to be out of nowhere, a smoke bomb landed and went off right in the middle of the group causing each of the men to cough rather violently. The men rubbed at their eyes and squinted to try and see through the smoke. The only thing that they did see was a dark figure nearby that just seemed to be watching, not taking advantage of their inability to defend themselves.

Once the smoke had cleared up for the most part, the men were finally able to see who it was that had been observing them. The figure was none other than Kushina Uzumaki, the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero". The woman had her arms crossed with a small smile on her face. The leader of the Kiri group growled at her smugness and rushed at her but fell to the ground hard before he could even make it half way. As he tried to get up, he quickly noticed that it felt like something incredibly heavy was strapped to his back and keeping him down. Looking around, he noticed that his men were dealing with the same problem as each were lying on the ground. Looking towards the red headed Konoha nin, he realized that she was approaching them with an even bigger smile than before. Struggling as much as he could, the Kiri jounin couldn't get free as Kushina Uzumaki stood in front of him. "What have you done to me?" the man asked.

Kushina chuckled at the question. "I take it you mean why can't you move, correct?" she asked walking around him. "The Uzumaki Clan is the greatest clan by far when it comes to fuinjutsu. What you're experiencing right now is the effect of one of our most simplest seals. The gravity seal" she said making her way to stand in front of the jounin once again. "Listen, you get to decide how this ends. You tell us what we want to know and you and your men live. If you don't cooperate then I will personally kill each and every one of your men in front of you and then we will drag whatever we want to know from you out before killing you as well. Make your choice" she said kneeling to his level. The Kiri jounin stared into her eyes with a murderous glare before giving his answer. After a long moment of silence the jounin spit in Kushina's face, his look never changing. Kushina stood up and wiped the spit off of her face before shaking her head. "So be it. I hope that the Shinigami is merciful to you and your men who trusted you so much" she said before closing her eyes. An instant later, nine golden chains had sprouted from the red head's back and quickly lodged the sharp ends into the heads of each of the jounin but the leader. One survivor was all she needed and it didn't matter what condition he was in so long as he was alive. That in mind, the Uzumaki walked behind the leader, covered her hand in chakra, and launched an accurate punch to the man's spine paralyzing him from the neck down.

The Kiri jounin screamed in pain at the attack before being lifted by Kushina onto her shoulder and taken off to a separate location.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo sat with her eyes closed, resting against a tree. The two rebels that Kushina had ordered to protect her were on high alert for anything remotely resembling danger. It was kind of amusing to the brunette. Breathing calmly, Yakumo thought about Naruto. She knew that he would be alright like always, but it deeply disturbed her that it was always him that everyone had to look to for help. He was facing men twice his age with far more experience and everyone was okay with it. It infuriated her. Why should her boyfriend have to be the one to fight the most dangerous enemies of the ninja world? What were the Kages so busy doing that they couldn't help lighten the load from Naruto.

Yakumo took another deep breath. It was Naruto's burden to bear and he willingly accepted. She had also promised him that she would be there for him to help lighten the load in any way that she could. Her thoughts of Naruto slowly but surely transformed into thoughts involving Mei Terumi. What if Mei tried to make a move on Naruto while she was gone? What if Naruto decided that he wanted to be with older women from now on? The questions that kept running through her head were beginning to make her dizzy. It was truly a blessing when Kushina, Konan, and Sasuke arrived which kept the girl from diving too far into her own mind.

Standing up, Yakumo realized that Kushina and Konan had brought two unconscious ninja with them. Putting two and two together, the brunette walked towards the group while preparing herself for what she had to do next. "So I take it that I'm doing my first interrogation right now?" Yakumo asked to which Kushina and Konan nodded albeit uncomfortably. "Yakumo, we can bring these idiots back to the camp and have someone else interrogate them" Kushina suggested but Yakumo shook her head. "No, I need to do this" she said before walking over to and crouching in front of the two Kiri ninja. Looking them over, she noticed two seals on each of their bodies. Looking at her red headed teacher, she asked "What are these for?". Kushina stepped closer and responded, "One is a paralysis seal which will keep them from trying to attack you or run. The other is a conscious seal so that I can change their state into conscious or unconscious" Kushina explained to which Yakumo nodded. "Could you wake them up please?" Yakumo asked to which Kushina nodded and activated their conscious seals.

The two Kiri ninja awoke and immediately surveyed their surroundings. It was quickly established that they were prisoners and their recent experiences were unfortunately not a bad dream. Looking at the group in front of them, the Kiri nin growled and tried to attack but their limbs wouldn't respond. "What the hell did you do to us?" growled out one of the Kiri ninja. Yakumo shook her head. "How about you answer my questions and then I'll answer yours" she suggested to which the men simply glared at her. Yakumo frowned at their silence. "You will talk and tell me what you know in time, that you have no control of. You do control how much you will have to suffer in this interrogation. So how about you agree to answer my questions or I will put you in a nightmare of the likes that you've never see" she said. The Kiri ninjas' glare only intensified at the ultimatum.

Sighing, Yakumo shook her head before putting her hands together. "Give the Shinigami my regards" she said in a quiet tone which caused both Kiri ninjas' expressions to turn into that of confusion before everything went dark. The Kiri nin stood beside each other in what looked to be nothing but darkness. Realizing that they were free to move around, both men put their hands and shouted "Kai". Expecting the dark world around them to disappear, they were very surprised when nothing happened in the slightest. "So she sends me some entertainment" said a dark and evil voice. Looking around one of the men shouted "Who's there? Show yourself". Never before was a request so quickly regretted as a figure rose from what appeared to be the ground. It's appearance was something that emanated evil and despair. "I am Ido and you are going to be part of my game. How long will you last until you tell me what my dear vessel wants to know" the demon said with a dark smile.

* * *

It took twenty seconds before Yakumo opened her eyes and fell to her knees in exhaustion. Her interrogation victims both stayed resting against a tree as they had before the questioning by Ido. The only difference now was that streams of blood leaked from the ninjas' eyes, nose, mouth, fingers, ears, and crotch area. Kushina picked her student up and without a word they left the Kiri bodies and returned to the rebel camp.

* * *

(Rebel Camp)

Naruto sat outside where he had asked Tsunade to put him. He would sleep under the stars tonight in the hopes that the moon would give him it's blessing and heal him like it always does. As he sat on the ground, he noticed a blue haired boy with glasses standing nearby and observing him very closely. The most interesting aspect of the boy was the large bandaged sword that he had at his side. Naruto chuckled and stretched out his arms summoning his blade to him. Looking at the blue haired boy he simply said, "Yo". The blue haired boy looked around and responded by saying, "Yo" as well. After looking at one another for a long moment, both boys nodded with a smile before simultaneously saying, "Yo".

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, sorry it took so long. Classes have been crazy but I'm trying to pump out the chapters as consistently as I can. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and I am so appreciative of all of the support that the story has gotten. Seriously, from the reviews to the follows to the favorites, thank you all so much. It means a lot to me that you are enjoying it. Thanks and see you next chapter. Happy Thanksgiving!


	25. Contemplation and Reflection

DxGRAYxMAN: Yeah, I wanted to give Yakumo something to wipe out the masses and figured that something along the lines of the Death's Maiden jutsu would work.

PinkiePieParty122894: Yeah I wanted to give Chojuro a little bit of screen time or page time or whatever. I put a little more of him in this chapter and will probably use him in future chapters.

Animaman: It'll take some time before Jiraiya admits his wrongdoings to Naruto out loud but for right now, he's mainly conflicted and when he faces the twins, that's when he will really make his decision on who he stands with. I won't say whether he realizes that they are or aren't the kids of prophecy but he will get reality shoved into his face. Also relating to Jiraiya and the twins' battle, reality make make itself known just before Jiraiya dies or after Jiraiya survives. I won't say which, sorry. As for the parental damage, Naruto did forgive them but I understand where you're coming from about it being too easy and plan to go a lot deeper into why he forgave them throughout multiple chapters.

Guest: Sorry I pissed you off and I talk about it at the end of the chapter if you've read this far. I started this almost a year ago with different intentions for it than when I started actually getting interested in writing it so I'm sorry that you're disappointed but I still think that it's worth reading.

1995hzq: Glad you liked it and Jiraiya's ending in the anime and manga pissed me off so I'm right there with you. I won't say whether Jiraiya and Naruto reach full closure, Nagato and Yahiko are dead at this point but I wouldn't completely rule out an impure resurrection jutsu. I am sorry to say that Kabuto won't be making a reappearance as a living character but I may use him in maybe an Orochimaru flashback.

* * *

(Shinigami's Blade Base)

Tsuranabi was sitting in his chair with his eyes closed when Menma and Narumi entered. The two waited in silence as their leader stood slowly and gave a small smile. "Thank you for joining me, we have some things to go over so sit down" Tsuranabi said to which Menma and Narumi quickly took two nearby chairs. Tsuranabi examined the two Namikazes for a long moment before speaking. "Another member of the Shinigami's Blade has fallen to Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Karasala, the number three swordsman is dead and not by Naruto's sword. It seems that the boy has found enough strength to not rely on his sword" he said walking behind the two jinchuriki. "In two days the Mizukage of Kiri will launch a full scale attack on the Kiri rebels of which Naruto is a part of. I will be making an appearance to see just how strong he has become and will bring the two of you with me. You two have made great progress and you will see the results of your training when you face your brother so be ready to leave" Tsuranabi said. At this information, Menma and Narumi's eyes widened and large smiles spread on their faces. "Is there anything else you need of us?" Menma asked trying to contain his excitement. "No, you may leave" the leader responded.

When the two were gone, Tsuranabi sat back in his chair. "You know that they're no match for him" said a confused voice. The voice materialized a second later in the form of Sashira, the number two swordsman of the Shinigami's Blade. Tsuranabi nodded with a smirk. "The two have grown strong since joining us but their hatred for their brother is lessening. Eventually they will feel so strong that the idea of facing someone that they consider so far below them will be an insult. Arrogance always leads to downfall. If they are arrogant, they may take pity and make mistakes. On the other hand, newfound humiliation from their brother will strengthen their hatred and resolve. They will not hesitate, they will show no mercy, they will be perfect soldiers" Tsuranabi said with a smile to which Sashira nodded. "Is there something that you needed or did you simply come here to eavesdrop on my private discussion Sashira?" he asked to which Sashira quickly shook her head. "Kuro has been getting restless. He is thinking about returning to mercenary life" she said looking at the ground. Tsuranabi chuckled at the problem.

"Yes I suppose I have kept him on a rather short leash" Tsuranabi said with a smile before his eyes widened with a new idea. "Adversity and the desire for vengeance can make someone far stronger than ever thought possible" Tsuranabi said quietly while looking up. Sashira looked at her leader, confused at what he was getting at. Tsuranabi looked at his fellow swordsman with a smile. "Send Kuro to Konoha. It's time for the Fourth Hokage's reign to end."

* * *

(Kiri Rebel Camp)

Kushina tossed within her sleeping bag in the Konoha tent. She and her group had gotten back to the base safe and sound and while Konan took Yakumo and Sasuke to the tent, she informed Mei that the Mizukage knew where they were and was coming in two days. A force of fifteen hundred ninja including the Mizukage would attack in what would be the final battle of the Kiri civil war. It was troubling news to the rebel leader as they only had two hundred ninja able to fight. Kushina had left Mei to her thoughts and gone to bed. It was her dreams that proved to be her toughest enemy that day.

 _Flashback_

Kushina was training Menma and Narumi with a smile on her face. Her children had the same determination that she had when she was a little girl. Chuckling as she dodged punches and kicks from Menma and Narumi, Kushina stopped the fight. "Okay kids that's enough training for today. Why don't you two go get washed up and I'll take you out to Ichiraku's for some ramen" she said to which the kids responded by vanishing faster than Minato's hiraishin. Letting out a small laugh, Kushina looked up and silently thanked Kami for the life she had. Just before looking down, she noticed someone looking at her from a window above. It was her son Naruto. Seeing him made her heart clench tightly. The little blonde was just looking at her wondering why he couldn't be a part of this family which caused tears to form in her eyes. Naruto was her first born who had been forced to become the black sheep. Kushina quickly shook her head. 'He's not the black sheep. He's my son. I've neglected him so much, I've been so horrible, all because of the stupid Kyuubi. From now on, I will include him in everything. Naruto, I promise you that I'll be a better mother' she thought before being pulled out of her thoughts by Narumi and Menma.

As she was dragged off to Ichiraku's, she didn't realize until arriving that she had already broken her promise. Feeling terrible on the walk home, she silently promised herself that she would remember tomorrow. She made the same promise every day for the next month until it was revealed that she was too late. Her son had left and it had been her fault. She had driven her baby out of her arms.

 _Flashback End_

Kushina woke up quickly without making a sound. She put her arms around one another as she began to shake while silently crying. A minute later, she was up and determined to see her son. Leaving the tent quietly, she was surprised to see that Naruto was no longer outside the tent. Closing her eyes, she focused to find her son's chakra which she was able to locate quickly. Taking off, the redhead didn't have to go far before nearing a clearing in which Naruto was apparently fighting. Getting a kunai out, Kushina prepared to join the fight until a voice stopped her. "Calm down, it's only a spar" spoke the voice to which Kushina quickly turned to face. She was surprised to see the rebel leader herself who had apparently been examining her son. "Your son is quite talented. He and my own subordinate, Chojuro, have seemed to strike a connection through kenjutsu" Mei said pointing to the battle.

(Naruto and Chojuro)

Chojuro was attacking relentlessly and was starting to get tired while his opponent kept up his confident smirk and easily deflected every strike launched at him. "How are you so strong?" Chojuro asked before launching another strike. Naruto blocked the strike as both swords were held at a standstill. Chojuro looked into the eyes of his opponent in an attempt to find any type of explanation. Chojuro pushed with all of his might while Naruto held him back easily with one arm while trying to keep in a yawn. "Hard work, dedication, a goal to achieve, and a hell of a good teacher" Naruto responded before pushing back hard enough to send the blue haired swordsman backwards. "You'll get there someday Chojuro, all you have to do is remember why you fight, why you need to get stronger" the blonde said before letting his sword vanish into nothing. Chojuro nodded and put his sword onto his back. "I hope we can do this again Naruto" Chojuro said outstretching his hand. Naruto nodded before walking up to the boy and shaking the hand with his own. "I do to Chojuro" he said causing both boys to smile.

(Kushina and Mei)

Mei and Kushina stood within the trees watching the two shake hands. "I have doubts about how to deal with my ninja when I announce to them the Mizukage's plans tomorrow. We are outnumbered over seven to one and I don't know how we could possibly win" Mei said. Kushina looked at Mei with a surprised look on her face. Mei was a confident and strong woman yet right now she sounded so helpless. The Uzumaki put her hand on Mei's s shoulder which gained her attention. "You tell them that they signed up to fight for the good of Kiri. They signed up for a cause much bigger than any one person. You may go out there and you may die, but at least you will be able to enter the afterlife with pride in the fact that you fought for a truly noble cause. That's what you tell them" said Kushina before going after her son while Mei silently stayed back.

(Naruto)

Naruto smiled as he felt his mother's chakra approaching. Sitting down on the ground, he was quickly joined by his mother. "I saw the end of your spar with that boy. I take it you made a new friend?" Kushina asked with a smile causing Naruto to smile as well. "Yeah, I guess I did" Naruto said looking up at the stars. Kushina stared at her son for a long moment before asking a question that she had neglected to ask for so long. "Naruto, why did you forgive me for being such a horrible mother" she asked looking at her son with slightly teary eyes. Naruto slowly turned and looked at his mother before responding. "Life is short mom. There is no room for petty things like grudges if you really want to get the most out of life" he said sighing before looking back up. "My teacher, the one who taught me how to first use a blade, died young. She was stronger than anyone I knew yet her life ended in order to make sure that I would start living mine. I was tempted to never associate myself with you or dad ever again, but that would be a discredit to my teacher's wishes. I also realized shortly after my return that you two truly were sorry. But the biggest reason I forgave you was because I wanted my mom back" Naruto said before looking at his mom who had tears streaming from her eyes.

Before the blonde could react, he was tackled into a hug by his mother who started to sob. "I love you so much Naruto. I love you so much and I'm so sorry for how I left you behind. I don't deserve you or your forgiveness but I swear on my life that I will never betray your trust ever again" Kushina said in between sobs as Naruto wrapped his arms around his mother reciprocating the hug.

* * *

(Kiri Rebel Camp)

It was eight o' clock in the morning and everyone was gathered around Mei. "I have recent information that will be hard to hear. From a recent interrogation performed by the Konoha nin, we have learned that the Mizukage himself intends to lead an army of fifteen hundred ninja in an all out assault tomorrow" she said which caused heavy murmuring that was quickly silenced by a shout from Mei's right hand, Ao. "Thank you Ao. Tomorrow is our last stand. I will not lie to you and say that we will win, but I refuse to simply give up and allow Yagura to further sully my home. I joined this rebellion to fight for the noble cause of freeing my country and restoring it to it's former greatness and I refuse to let Yagura and his men force me into cowardice. I knew going in that this was a cause worth dying for and I will die for it if need be. So I ask each of you, will you die for this cause and meet your ancestors knowing that you did what was right, or will you flee and meet your ancestors with your head bowed in shame?" she asked loudly.

The camp was quiet for a long time as the ninja contemplated on what was likely a life or death choice. The first answer came from Chojuro, wielder of the Hiramekarei. "I stand with the rebellion" the blue haired boy shouted with determination strong in his voice. The other ninja nodded and strengthened their resolve as cries of standing with the rebellion increased. Mei gave a small smile and looked to Ao who was also smiling. "Come Ao, we have a victory to plan out" Mei said but not before looking back at a certain red headed figure and nodding in thanks. After, she and Ao entered the battle tent to plan for what would undoubtedly be the greatest battle in Kiri history.

While their leader was planning in the tent, the other ninja outside spoke confidently, a flame had been reignited in each of them. Kushina looked at the sight with a smile. 'Yeah, she's gonna be a hell of a Mizukage' thought Kushina before going over to the Konoha tent to join her group.

* * *

(Kiri Camp later that night)

Naruto sat with his sword out absorbing the power the moon granted him. He was ready for a battle such as the one that was scheduled only a few hours away. The blonde looked at the moon wondering why the great rock in the sky gave him such power. "Still haven't figured it out huh?" spoke a familiar voice. Naruto looked to his side as Sera appeared next to him. "No I haven't. You neglected to tell me why. I know that you were enhanced by water but other than the moon controlling the tides, I don't see any relation" Naruto said in a frustrated tone. Sera looked at him seriously before responding. "Okay, you wanna know what the relation is?" she asked to which Naruto nodded. "Are you sure you wanna know?" she asked making Naruto nod more rapidly. "Are you absolutely positively-" "SERA" Naruto interrupted causing Sera to pout. "Fine, truth is that there is no relationship. Each one of us was granted an enhancement from something, but it's always different. I mean I gained stronger in the water but my master gained stronger whenever he stood in grass. How weird is that? Hell, our first swordsman gained power from the sun. All in all kid, there is no relationship in what gives us power. The only thing connecting each of us is the power inside of that sword" Sera said pointing at Naruto's sword.

"When our first swordsman began to get older, he trained a young boy in the ways of the sword. When he had taught the boy all he could, he performed the Ritual of Passing by marking his apprentice with his blood. Afterwards, he handed the apprentice the sword. When the boy grasped the sword, it changed design and form, yet the legacy was passed on as the power that had resided in the first sword transferred to the next swordsman. Each of us gained strength from our own sources and each of us wielded our own unique sword, but all of us are connected by the power that lies within your sword" Sera finished looking at her prodigy proudly. Naruto on the other hand was dealing with the fact that his head was spinning at one hundred miles per hour. After digesting what he had heard, Naruto looked back at Sera. "What is the power? Where does it come from?" he asked quickly as Sera began to fade. Before disappearing completely, the blue haired woman smiled. "In time Naruto. You'll find out in time" she said softly before leaving the mortal plane once again.

The blonde haired swordsman looked down at his sword and thought about what he had just been told. This sword had been wielded by ten before him and he was tasked with upholding the legacy of all of them. Standing slowly, he gripped his sword and made a silent vow. To add to the legacy passed on to him and make his former swordsmen proud.

* * *

(Sasuke and Itachi)

The two Uchiha brothers sat together under the nighttime sky. "Itachi, I'm scared" Sasuke admitted quietly. Itachi slowly turned and looked at his brother with a smile. "I know Sasuke. Tomorrow is a big day, but it's also what being a ninja is truly about. Tomorrow, you will be a part of something that most ninja can only hope for. The chance to prove yourself by fighting for what's right" he said turning his head to the sky. "If we win tomorrow, we will be a part of history. We will be a part of the reclamation of Kiri and you will have made the clan proud" Itachi said causing Sasuke to look at his brother. "I'll be right beside you, live or die. I realize that I can't look over your shoulder every moment of every day, but it's my job to worry about you Sasuke which is why I have to say this" the elder Uchiha said immediately turning serious and looking directly into his brother's eyes. "You are a strong ninja Sasuke and you have come a long way. Should I fall tomorrow, don't try to fight every ninja you come across" Itachi said.

Sasuke looked at his brother with a confused look on his face. "Itachi, what are you talking about?" Sasuke asked trying to understand his brother's sudden change in demeanor. Itachi sighed before answering. "Listen Sasuke, if I die tomorrow, find Naruto. Help where you can but make sure to find Naruto" Itachi said seriously. Sasuke was silent for a long time as he tried to figure out where this was coming from. "No" Sasuke answered and continued before Itachi could interrupt. "Either both of us are leaving Kiri together or none of us are. You're Itachi Uchiha, the strongest of the entire clan, so shut up about this dying shit. You and I are making it through this civil war idiot" Sasuke said with a confident smirk.

Itachi looked at his brother for a long moment before smirking himself. "You know, it's supposed to be the older brother that gives the inspirational and slightly offensive speeches" the Uchiha said. "You know that mom is gonna kill us when she finds out what our mission was" Sasuke commented causing Itachi to chuckle. "She will understand. She did fight in the third war so I think that she'll be able to relate but just for personal safety, you're entering the house first" Itachi said earning himself a punch to the shoulder from his younger brother. When Itachi looked back at his brother, he quietly gasped when he saw his brother who looked like he was no more than six years old. Blinking twice, the image of Sasuke reverted back to the original Sasuke. Taking a deep breath, Itachi reached his arm and pulled his brother into a one armed hug. As Sasuke was pulled in, he mentally raised an eyebrow. "I love you Sasuke" Itachi said before releasing his brother. Sasuke looked at his brother for a long time before responding. "I love you too Itachi."

* * *

(Jiraiya)

The toad sage sat in the tent near Tsunade who was asleep. Jiraiya knew better than to try and make a move on her and he had more concerning thoughts on his mind. His mind was at an impasse. He had never been so conflicted in his entire life. Menma and Narumi were gone, they had left by their own decision which Jiraiya had finally accepted. What he couldn't accept was that his godchildren were too far gone. He would save them alone if he had to which it seemed like he would. Ever since Naruto had returned from his short absence, the twins had become more cynical and grown a darker attitude. The reaction to their brother's presence led Jiraiya to his indecision about what to do with Naruto. Deep down, the man wanted to reconnect with his eldest godson, the boy named after the character of Jiraiya's least popular but greatest work of literature. Unfortunately, the majority of Jiraiya's feeling were negative towards the blonde because he needed to see the world in the grand scheme of things. Menma and Narumi would decide the fate of the ninja world, he just knew it. They had to be the children of prophecy or all that he had sacrificed, all that he had fought for, would have been for nothing.

He had alienated his godson, he had proved to be irredeemable to the woman he loved, he was no longer respected by the man he saw as a son and the woman he saw as a daughter in law outright despised him. The teammate that had betrayed him in the worst way possible turned out to have been manipulated, but when Orochimaru sided against him in terms of Naruto, he felt the sting of betrayal once again. 'It's all Naruto's fault. If he had stayed gone, then everything would be fine' thought Jiraiya darkly before another voice echoed in his mind. 'NO! Naruto was never at fault. All he needed was for someone to be there for him and we failed. There's still time to repent and reconnect with the boy' shouted the other voice causing Jiraiya to clench at his head. The white haired Sannin shook his head clear and lied down before falling asleep. He didn't even notice the tear that had fallen down his face.

* * *

(Mizukage)

Yagura sat in his tent with a smile. 'After tomorrow, all of Kiri will be mine. Those peasants dared to defy me and now the world will know my true power' he thought before falling into a loud laughing fit.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone we reached over 100,000 views! I want to thank all of you my loyal readers for sticking with the story and I hope that you have enjoyed it to this point. Quick thing, I altered the story description as you can tell since I received a few comments about the story's lack of neglect elements. I'll explain further on why I did that. When I first started this story which was about a year ago, I hated the result. I had written like three chapters with every intent of it being a neglect fic but I hated how it came out. I left the story alone for a while and wouldn't have returned to it except for the fact that I saw how many people liked it and wanted it to continue. Afterwards, I worked on writing longer chapters and developing an actual plot and I kind of got away from the neglect aspects. But that's why it isn't really much of a neglect fic. Well that's my explanation. I know it was a short chapter but I hope you enjoyed it and next up is the battle for Kiri! P.S. REVIEW!


	26. The Battle for Kiri

DxGRAYxMAN: He can't harness the former swordsmen's powers as each one is unique and individualized but he can get assistance like his Legacy Slash.

777torn777: I'm glad you like it and I hope that I continue to impress.

New Elements92: Yep the actual battle. I hope that you like it.

PinkiePieParty122894: It certainly seems that way and the question is will the result be positive or negative? Soon to be written.

Animaman: A battle this chapter is going to lead to Naruto having certain doubts about where loyalties lie down the line and whether or not his parents are truly sorry. It'll most likely be addressed when Naruto returns home. Whether or not Minato will be alive is a secret. I also can't say that Jiraiya will survive his encounter with the twins but I can't say that he'll die either so I gotta keep it a secret for now.

1995hzq: Can't say whether or not Minato survives. As for Jiraiya, he'll see the truth but the question is how do you think he'll take it.

xoxohaha: It sounds like a really good story idea but I don't really know much about One Piece so I'm not sure how well I'd be able to write it. I won't rule it out though because I might get into One Piece soon or I could do some research on Shanks. It's a really good idea for a story.

Namittheking: I'll be honest, I wasn't really invested in the story until the Wave arc began so that's one of the reasons. I wasn't necessarily thinking about it too hard. But answering it now, I would say that since Naruto had left, Minato and Kushina noticed Menma and Narumi's growing instability. Pair that with the power of a jinchuriki, Minato felt that Kushina was needed in the likely event that either Menma or Narumi lose control. So Kushina was more of a fail safe than an actual sensei.

* * *

(Kiri Battlefield)

The rebels stood tall facing the overwhelming numbers of the Kiri ninja. They knew that they were outnumbered but they stood strong with nothing but determination in their eyes. Mei stood in front of her two hundred rebels while the Mizukage stood smiling in front of his fifteen hundred ninja. Mei looked at her right hand Ao and nodded. The previous night, she and Ao had decided that there was no way they would win by simply charging at the enemy so they came up with the best strategy they could think of. Their soldiers were limited but they had found a way to make them as effective as possible. Two ninja with complementing fighting styles, jutsus, and weapons, would be paired together. Each ninja had a partner including Mei who was partnered with Ao. Next to Mei and Ao stood Naruto and Chojuro. After them was the team of Yakumo and Sasuke followed by Itachi and Konan, Jiraiya and Tsunade, and Kushina who had decided to go at it alone and assist where she could.

Yagura stood with his back to his ninja. His men would storm the battlefield and the battle would be over in a matter of minutes. Silently chuckling, Yagura thought about what a massacre this little fight was going to be. Looking at the numerous members within the ranks, he was slightly surprised to see not only two of the sannin, but the Fourth Hokage's own wife among the rebels. He knew that Konoha had sent a small group to assist the rebels in their "noble rebellion", but he didn't think that the Hokage would be foolish enough to send people he actually regarded as family to their deaths. Shaking his head, Yagura looked at the ninja to his right and nodded. The ninja nodded back and yelled the battle cry as all of the Kiri ninja took off at once. The battle for Kiri had begun.

Mei looked on as the Mizukage's troops charged forward. "READY YOURSELVES. TODAY, KIRI WILL BE FREED!" Mei screamed getting a chorus of shouts in agreement. Just as the Mizukage's ninja were halfway to the rebels, a massive explosion went off in the middle of the battlefield. The night before, Mei had told her ninja to gather every explosive seal that they had along with a fair amount that was brought from Konoha and to place it exactly where Mei knew they would charge. The explosion stopped the Kiri nin in their tracks, killing the momentum that they had going into the battle and inspiring confidence into the rebels. The explosives had killed about one hundred and fifty Kiri ninja which didn't really change the numbers by a large margin, but it gave the rebels the confidence to go out there and fight with all their heart and soul. So as the Kiri ninja stopped, that's when the rebels charged.

(Naruto and Chojuro)

Both boys ran at the massive army with sword in hand. They didn't notice it, but they were actually far ahead of everyone else. Coming to a large mass of ninja, Naruto jumped up with sword in hand while Chojuro stopped with his sword at he ready. Naruto stayed in mid air for a long moment as if he were simply floating. Raising his sword above him, Naruto swung hard causing him to fly downwards. The blonde's blade hit the ground and everything stopped. For a second, the Kiri nin wondered what the point of the theatrics were, but a second later resulted in multiple fountains of blood all caused seemingly at the same time. Thirty ninja fell to the ground with deep sword slashes to their chest as Naruto stood with his sword resting on his shoulder and a smirk that said they were screwed. Chojuro grinned at the result of Naruto's attack showcasing his shark like teeth and raised his sword. There were some Kiri nin that needed to be cut down to size.

As the Kiri nin shook out of their shock at Naruto's attack, Chojuro prepared to attack. Letting the wrappings fall from the sword, he focused chakra into the blade before separating it into its twinsword form and dashing towards his opponents. One by one, the blue haired swordsman cut down his opponents with the Hiramekarei which was currently glowing blue. He continued to swing with his dual swords as Naruto jumped back into the fight. Together the two worked in harmony as they cut down every Kiri nin in their way quickly and efficiently. A number of Kiri nin had stayed back and tried to attack using ninjutsu only for Naruto to swing his sword using his personal "Hammer Slash" killing the targets. The Lunar Swordsman and the last of the Seven Swordsmen fought with flawless technique and confident smirks on their faces.

(Yakumo and Sasuke)

Yakumo ran with her scythe in hand along with Sasuke who ran with his spear crackling in hand. Seeing their teammate be the first one to join the fight kind of ticked the two off so they were ready to prove that they were powerful as well. As the two continued running, Sasuke raised his spear which changed from crackling with electricity to blazing with fire and threw it. The spear went through three men before coming to a stop. Just as Sasuke and Yakumo were about to hit the crowd of Kiri ninja, they abruptly stopped. "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" shouted Sasuke launching five large balls of blue fire at the numerous opponents. Looking at Yakumo, both nodded as Yakumo came to stand in front of Sasuke while he performed a long series of handsigns.

Once the Kiri nin had recovered from the surprise of Sasuke's attack, they noticed him making handsigns and went to charge. The first one there served as a warning. He nearly made it to Sasuke but Yakumo quickly made use of her large weapon by slashing the man in half looking like it took little to no effort at all. Sasuke continued to make the handsigns and the Kiri nin continued to charge. Yakumo sliced fast, quickly covering all sides of Sasuke, protecting her teammate so that he could finish his jutsu. When Yakumo finally got a short moment, she said quietly, "Dance of the Reaper". Her hair started to blow as if a sudden breeze had come over her as she waited for her victims.

A group of ten ninja began their attack on the duo by surrounding them. Each prepared to strike with their kunai but never got the chance as Yakumo threw her scythe. It spun rapidly in a circle, slicing any obstacle in its path. The first time around, the scythe killed all ten men. The Kiri nin didn't learn their lesson until twelve more suffered the fate of death by scythe. They waited until the scythe stopped spinning and was back in the girl's hand before attacking once more. Before they could reach the two, a whirlwind of paper blinded the view of the nin. Seven men's vision had been impaired by the paper. A second later, they knew no more as each of their heads were now removed from their bodies.

Thanks to the temporary protection given to him by Yakumo, Sasuke finished his handsigns. "Meteor Rain" shouted Sasuke before launching twenty fireballs from his mouth in rapid succession into the air. Once they reached their peak, the fireballs fell, collapsing in small explosions around the battlefield helping other rebel nin whether by causing a distraction or hitting the enemy directly. Sasuke started to breathe a little heavier but quickly righted himself when Yakumo looked at him with a small smile.

(Itachi and Konan)

Itachi stood back to back with Konan surrounded on all sides by Kiri nin. "Um I kinda wanted to ask you something earlier" Itachi said nervously while Konan examined those around them. "Okay, what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow but still on guard. "I was uh wondering if you maybe wanted to have dinner with me? Or lunch, or breakfast or something?" he said nervously. "Seriously? We are in the middle of a war and you think that asking me out is the appropriate question to ask me?" she asked rhetorically as the Kiri nin prepared to make their move. "Look, we'll talk about it later okay?" she said quickly to which Itachi nodded. Taking out a large number of shurikens, the Uchiha said "Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson" before throwing the shurikens which caught fire immediately after being released. The shurikens didn't hit anyone but instead landed right in the ground but continued to burn.

Seeing that Itachi had made his move, Konan shouted "Dance of the Shikigami" before hundreds of sheets of paper flew from her body and eventually formed a large circle. A few of the pieces of paper caught fire leading to a chain of fire which quickly began to spread along the paper trail through the Kiri shinobi. Before long, the fire intensified as Konan added more sheets of paper to fuel the fire. Itachi looked at Konan after the fire began to intensify and spread. "Give me a second" he asked to which Konan nodded and continued to fuel what was now becoming a massive fire that was burning ninja left and right. There were more than a few Kiri ninja who were trying to use water techniques to drown out the fire, but before they could, they would be killed by their own opponents. And when water techniques did get through to the fire, the flames continued to burn as if nothing had been done in the first place.

Just as Konan was about to add more paper to the flame, she felt a tremendous amount of chakra being asserted. Looking back at her partner, she was surprised at what she saw. Itachi's eyes had entered a stage of the sharingan that she hadn't seen before and his right arm was covered in what looked to be a giant red chakra arm. "Move" Itachi said in a strained tone to which Konan quickly responded by moving away. Taking a deep breath, Itachi dashed through the flame he had created and towards a large number of Kiri nin. "Susanoo Fist" Itachi shouted as he swung his right arm forward and all the chakra that came with it. The unfortunate kin that were hit by the attack were sent flying immediately, dead on contact, nothing more than mangled and bloody bodies.

After the attack ended, the fire behind Itachi began to die and he fell to a knee panting. Konan rushed to him to assist however she could. "Itachi, are you okay?" she asked kneeling to his level. Itachi nodded while trying to catch his breath. After a short moment of recovery, Itachi stood up a little shakily but nodded. "Yeah, I just shouldn't have used that jutsu so early. It takes a lot out of me" the Uchiha answered while silently cursing himself for his stupidity. "It'll be fine, just stay close to me. We've still got work to do" Konan said as she prepared to find her next victims.

(Jiraiya and Tsunade)

Jiraiya deflected a punch from a Kiri nin while his teammate punched another sending him flying. "You know if I didn't know any better, I'd say that these guys don't know who we are" Jiraiya said as he deflected another ninja's punch before stabbing him in the neck with a kunai. "If anything they know exactly who you are which is why they probably aren't afraid to attack you pervert" Tsunade said punching and killing another Kiri ninja. Looking back at her teammate, she blew a strand of hair out of her face before speaking. "Hurry up and summon some toads. I'm sure that the rest of the rebels could use the help" she advised. Jiraiya sighed as he dodged an attack before launching a rasengan into the side of the attacker. "Fine, if you insist" Jiraiya answered before biting his thumb and performing the handsigns. "Summoning Jutsu" Jiraiya shouted expecting Gamahiro to appear. He was understandably surprised when nothing happened. Performing the handsigns again, he performed the jutsu but with no result. Jiraiya didn't have time to ponder the situation as he narrowly dodged a sword strike from a Kiri nin. Throwing a kunai and hitting the attacker in the throat, Jiraiya jumped backwards. "Tsunade, something's wrong. My summoning isn't working."

Tsunade continued to punch and kick the countless enemies that continued to attack her causing pain to each idiot who thought himself strong enough to face the female Sannin. "Well then find another way to contribute because I'm busy" Tsunade said to her teammate before launching another powerful punch at a Kiri ninja. Jiraiya nodded and began to create a larger than standard rasengan. When it finished forming, the white haired Sannin ran towards a crowd of Kiri nin with the large rasengan in hand. "Big Ball Rasengan" Jiraiya shouted slamming the ball of chakra into the crowd sending them flying back. Nearby, Tsunade was tired of the constant attacks on her so after killing another Kiri nin, she raised her fist to the air before slamming it into the ground causing the ground itself to move violently. It sent any nearby Kiri nin away to another pair of rebels. The blonde Sannin examined her hand before locating her teammate who was just watching the rest of the battlefield now. It had started out with Kiri having an overwhelming advantage, but now it seemed that Kiri's forces had been brought to about half of it's original strength. The rebels were fighting back hard but just over a half of the rebel forces remained.

(Kushina, Mei, and Ao)

Kushina sent her chains impaling the massive amounts of Kiri nin that were trying to kill Mei and end the rebellion once and for all. Ao was doing his share by quickly killing his enemies with his kunai or through the use of taijutsu. Meanwhile, Mei was alternating between shooting globs of lava and using her kunai on those who got too close. Getting a small break, Kushina bit her thumb and rubbed it on her wrist summoning her own personal katana. Grasping the sword tightly, the red headed Uzumaki went to work in cutting down the opposition as quickly as possible. Ao increased his speed attacking and killing the enemies at a faster pace. Mei jumped back to avoid a kunai slash and quickly performed a series of handsigns. "Lava Release Melting Apparition" the rebel leader shouted before spewing a flow of acidic mud that immediately started to burn through the flesh of the Kiri nin targeted.

After Mei's attack, the three gathered around each other finally getting a small break from the fighting for the time being. "So far so good" commented Kushina. Mei was silent as was Ao. They prepared to go back into battle until a tremendous surge of chakra was felt, stopping a large amount of the fighting on the battlefield. Mei, Ao, and Kushina immediately looked towards the source only to see Yagura, the Mizukage, standing alone.

(Yagura)

The Mizukage's fists were clenched so hard that blood had began to flow from his hands. The battle was supposed to be over in a matter of minutes. The pathetic rebels were supposed to provide no challenge at all but had instead decided to become a thorn in his side. He would show them the futility of their actions and the consequences for their defiance. Summoning all of his chakra, he clenched his fists harder at the power that began to flow through his body. He began to slightly convulse as his skin began to turn gray in color. Seconds later, his skin began to harden and his bone structure began to change. One eye closed, but the other changed from it's original color of pink to a black pupil and yellow iris.

For a moment, Yagura seemed to have simply transformed into a deformed, grey freak. But all at once, the Mizukage increased to colossal size in the form of a turtle like creature. It emanated demonic chakra which struck fear into every fighter on the battlefield.

(Jiraiya and Tsunade)

"Jiraiya summon a toad NOW!" shouted Tsunade knowing exactly what the threat was. Jiraiya quickly nodded and bit his thumb again performing the handsigns. Still nothing happened.

(Naruto and Chojuro)

Naruto looked quickly at his partner. "Chojuro, tell Mei to get everyone back" Naruto said causing Chojuro to look at him strangely. "What are you talking about Naruto?" the blue haired swordsman asked. Naruto looked around before locating his teammates. "Just get to Mei, I have something to do" the blonde said before taking off.

(Sasuke and Yakumo)

Sasuke and Yakumo stood in both fear and awe at the sight ahead of them. A giant, demonic, turtle had taken the place of the short child-like Mizukage. The two were so engrossed in the sight that they nearly attacked Naruto when he made his presence known. "Guys, time to go" Naruto said making both of their eyes widen. "Naruto, what the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke asked. Naruto raised his sword to his shoulder. "It's time to end the Kiri civil war" Naruto said with a smirk. Yakumo and Sasuke looked at the blonde like he was crazy. "Come on guys, we talked about this" he said. Yakumo shook her head. "Yeah but shouldn't we leave this to someone like Mei or your mom or the Sannin or I-" "Let's do it" Sasuke said interrupting Yakumo's objection. Naruto nodded and looked at Yakumo who reluctantly nodded before the three took off at high speeds as the only ones who had yet to move.

(Kushina, Mei, Ao)

"What the hell is happening?" asked Mei in a frightened tone. Kushina shook her head. "The Mizukage is a jinchuriki and from the looks of it has mastered control of his biju. This just got a lot more complicated. Mei, we may need to fall back" Kushina said causing Mei to look at the ground. "It was going so well. How could it turn like this?" Mei asked silently. Ao narrowed his eye towards what seemed to be the only moving figures left on the battlefield. "Kushina, it seems that your son and his team are running in the direction of Yagura" Ao said quickly causing Kushina's eyes to widen to epic proportions. "WHAT?" the red head shouted before finding the small group with her eyes. "Oh my Kami, I have to get over there" she said frantically.

"WAIT" shouted the familiar voice of the toad Sannin. Jiraiya followed by Tsunade quickly approached the trio. "Kushina, something's wrong with my chakra. My summoning jutsu won't work" Jiraiya said worriedly. Kushina growled at the man. "I don't give a damn about your chakra old man, my son is trying to take on the Mizukage" Kushina said while pointing in Naruto's direction. Jiraiya and Tsunade's eyes widened but Jiraiya quickly shook out of his stupor. "Kushina, our best bet is for me to summon Gamabunta to fight the Mizukage. I know you have a seal somewhere that can help out. Please Kushina" Jiraiya pleaded.

Kushina quickly looked the man over before reaching into her side pouch only to pull out a crinkled piece of paper with a seal design on it. "That seal will make it easier to utilize nature chakra which will in turn increase your chances of successfully summoning your toads. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go save my son" the red head said angrily tossing the seal to Jiraiya who quickly restarted charging his chakra.

(Naruto, Yakumo, Sasuke)

It didn't take long for Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke to reach the giant turtle due to everyone still scared stiff of the colossal biju. The turtle paid little to no mind to the three chunin as they neared. It instead focused on the enemies of it's jinchuriki. Naruto, Sasuke, and Yakumo thanked Kami that the biju had decided to ignore them just as planned. Naruto suddenly stopped with his sword at the ready while Sasuke and Yakumo took their positions. Raising his sword, Naruto shouted "Hammer Slash" launching a wave of chakra at the turtle's back leg. Upon impact, thousands of sword slices cut through the turtle's leg causing it to stumble slightly. Because of it's thick skin, there was hardly any damage done but it gained the biju's attention. Naruto stood with his sword in an attack stance as he stared down the three tailed beast before everything went pitch black.

(Yagura's Mindscape)

The blonde blinked a few times and went to raise his sword only to realize that it was nowhere to be seen. "Welcome" said an amused voice from behind Naruto who quickly turned defensively at the sound. Naruto's eyes widened because the sight he was met with was a childlike figure that faced him with a smile. "Who are you and where am I?" asked Naruto quickly. The figure chuckled. "You should know who I am considering you and your friends are trying to end my life. Where you are is a mindscape, mine to be exact. I thought it would be best if we were to have a little chat before any of this goes further" the now known Mizukage said. "Why are you here Naruto? I know what you've been through, I had to live it. Why do you take orders from those who treated you wrongly and those who are far inferior to one such as yourself? I've seen your past. Years and years of painful neglect cannot be washed away with a simple apology. You still hold that grudge whether you choose to show it or not" continued the Mizukage causing Naruto's eyes to narrow.

"How I handle things is none of your business and I don't hold grudges, it's beneath me" Naruto responded which caused the Mizukage to laugh loudly. "Naruto, we're all human. We all have certain flaws that separate us from those above. No one can take the amount of neglect that you took without a hint of resentment. I have seen that you have made peace with your mother, but is it true? Are you sure that you aren't being taken advantage of? All that your parents have offered are words of regret which have swayed you away from the course of thinking that you should have had all along. Why should you bow to the whims of those weaker and beneath you? They did you wrong therefore they must be punished. That's why I will ask you to join me as I take over all of Kiri. With your power, taking over the other nations will be simple. Think of it Naruto, the entire world at your fingertips. You would be a god. Take my offer and reach your full potential rather than be manipulated and used by those who pretend to care for your well being" Yagura said with a smile.

Naruto was silent for a long moment before he began to laugh. When it died down, he gave his answer clearly to the Mizukage. "I feel sorry for you that you will die without knowing the truth of companionship. Your mindset is so jaded, your ideas so delusional. You are proof of why I will accept the embrace of those who are truly repentant. If I do nothing but let hatred and resentment fester, I will have no one. And when you have no one, you're weak. I'm sorry that you were unable to find anyone, but I pray that you find peace in the next life" Naruto said causing the Mizukage to scowl before Naruto was pushed out of the mindscape.

(Naruto, Sasuke, Yakumo)

Naruto returned from his trance almost as suddenly as he had entered. Noticing that his sword was back at his side, he smirked and nodded to each of his teammates. Jumping upwards, Naruto made deep slashes in the Sanbi's body. Yakumo stayed on the ground charging her chakra quickly while Sasuke ran towards the rear of the giant turtle. Once he reached the tails, Sasuke yelled out "Emperor's Ember" blowing a small yellow fireball that hit one of the three tails of the beast. Upon impact, the small fireball exploded into a massive blue flame that spread across each of the Sanbi's tails causing it to roar in pain. Turning to face the Uchiha, the turtle prepared to attack the boy only for Naruto to appear out of nowhere onto the biju's nose. Taking the opportunity, Naruto raised his arm and shouted "Hammer Slash" as he launched his sword attack at the biju's only open eye. The eye itself was very strong, but thousands of sword strikes added up until the attack finally pierced the eye and kept going until it was nothing more than a bloody socket. The turtle rose it's head to the sky causing Naruto to jump down and roared to the sky in pain.

When Naruto landed, he quickly looked to his genjutsu wielding girlfriend. "Yakumo, you're up" Naruto said getting a nod from the girl. "Eden's Paradise" Yakumo said loudly before attempting something that very few could. To put a fully released biju into a genjutsu induced trance. Yakumo closed her eyes tightly and held her hands together as she placed the massive genjutsu on the enemy. In less than twenty seconds, the screaming Sanbi had gone from roaring in pain to lying down on the ground in a trance. The genjutsu that Yakumo had put the biju under was an illusion of pure bliss. The greatest moments of one's life, the greatest feelings, any and everything the victim wanted. Yakumo gave the victim their own personal heaven. There was also less of a chance of the jutsu being broken due to the victim simply not wanting to escape from their paradise. The downside to using the genjutsu was that it took a lot of chakra to keep up and wouldn't typically last longer than maybe five minutes. It was going to be understandably shorter due to the fact that she was dealing with a biju now.

While Yakumo concentrated as hard as she could on keeping the biju immobilized, Naruto looked at Sasuke who was waiting for orders. "Sasuke, start putting your chakra into the seal, I have to make a spot for us to place it" Naruto said before jumping high into the air with his sword raised. Sasuke looked at his hand before he began to pump his chakra into the yang seal. As the Uchiha prepared his seal, Naruto reached the peak of his jump and slammed downwards with his sword. When Naruto impacted the right arm of the Sanbi, it disrupted Yakumo's genjutsu but cut right through the arm completely cutting through the shell. When he reached the ground, Naruto shouted "Sasuke now" as he placed his hand on the beast leaving a glowing seal on the body. Without giving it a second thought, Sasuke dashed forwards and landed his hand on the biju which also left a glowing seal. Once both boys' hands were removed, the seals moved along the body until the connected with one another and started to grow brighter. The seal took the form of a yin yang sign and began to spin rapidly as the biju inflicted started to scream louder than before. It wasn't long until multiple yellow cracks started to form all over the biju's body as it continued to scream. After the cracks covered the entirety of the turtle's body, it imploded on itself creating a shock wave that sent Sasuke and Yakumo backwards before regaining their footing.

* * *

(Mei, Ao, Tsunade, Jiraiya)

All four figures like everyone else on the battlefield were dumbfounded at what they had just seen. A group of three chunin had just taken down the Mizukage, and at full biju form. It was impossible, it made no sense, yet it happened right in front of their very eyes. The shock and awe of the matter had caused all of the Kiri ninja to drop their weapons while the rebels were still a little frozen in the moment. Ao was the one to break Mei from the trance that was currently an epidemic across the entire battlefield. "Mei, it seems that you have won the battle. You've just ended the civil war" Ao said in a weak tone as he didn't trust his voice at the moment. Upon hearing Ao's comment, Mei's eyes began to water. "It's over, it's finally over" she whispered before taking a few steps forward. "Ao, make it known to the forces that the war is over. A new day has begun and a new Kiri is born" she said as a tear fell down her face. Ao silently nodded at his leader's request and went to spread the word.

Tsunade and Jiraiya's mouths were both open. How? How was a civil war as bloody as any decided by three kids. It was unheard of and unprecedented. What they had just seen brought Jiraiya back to when Itachi gave his evaluation of the team. "Greater than the Sannin" Itachi had said to which Jiraiya had laughed in his face. Never before had he been so wrong, or at least that he knew of. Itachi was right. The team that he had just seen, the team that had taken down a fully powered biju, had the potential to pass the legendary Sannin.

* * *

(Naruto, Yakumo, Sasuke)

A cloud of dust covered the area as the three chunin stood barely, each wanting to pass out. Before any of the three could say a word of celebration, a slow clapping sounded behind the three. Turning towards the sound, Team 11's eyes widened at the figures that stood in front of them. Menma and Narumi stood with evil smiles directed at Naruto, both with large curved swords in their grip. Tsuranabi stood with a small smile in between them.

Quickly turning to his team, Naruto said "Go get help" to which the two ran off without a word. They knew that this fight was out of their league and that they would just be in Naruto's way. Turning his attention back to the three intruders, Naruto gritted his teeth. "What do you want?" the blonde said gripping his sword tightly. Tsuranabi tilted his head to the side slightly. "You know what I want Naruto. I want peace. A peace that you are apparently unwilling to let me attain. These two on the other hand have a score to settle with you. Normally I wouldn't waste my time with something as petty as this, but they've been good lately so they deserve a reward" he said smiling.

Menma and Narumi stepped forward after their leader finished speaking, both smiling. "I've been waiting for today for a long time. We'll make sure that you suffer" said Menma. "It's time you realize what a pitiful mistake you are" followed up Narumi. Naruto looked at both of his siblings and could tell that they were much further along in terms of strength since their last confrontation. Trying to control his breathing, Naruto stood tall. He was tired from taking down Yagura but refused to let his body quit on him now. "Are you sure that you want to do this? I'm sure that you remember the result of our last fight" Naruto said rolling his neck. Menma and Narumi growled at the reminder of their humiliating loss. "You'll find that we're much stronger than last time and more than capable of killing you" said Menma with gritted teeth as he and Narumi raised their biju swords.

Naruto sighed at their response and raised his sword in preparation of what was to come. He was not surprised when both siblings rushed him and slashed through his body. After the attack, Menma and Narumi smiled triumphantly until in an instant were sent flying back, each with large slashes across their chests. As the two shakily stood while red chakra covered their chests and healed them, they looked back at their sliced in half brother only to see the last remaining remnants of smoke fading away.

"You know, I've always wondered where this hatred of me comes from" said Naruto from behind Menma and Narumi causing both to quickly turn around. "Both of you were given everything. Training, attention, love. You had all of that and more yet you've decided to throw that away in the hopes of killing me" said Naruto with a dark smile beginning to form on his face. "You attack me with a sword, you dare to challenge me, the Lunar Soldier to a duel. I could kill you both in an instant but choose not to out of pure pity" the blonde said raising his sword to his shoulder as he leaked killer intent.

To the credit of Menma and Narumi, the two barely shook at their brother's killer intent as their hatred for the boy only deepened. With a roar, Menma leapt at Naruto ready to take the boy's head off but was shocked when Naruto suddenly disappeared. A moment later, Menma felt an unbearable pain in his left arm. When he looked down, his eyes widened as his left arm was now lying on the ground separated from his body. The jinchuriki screamed in pain. Narumi watched what happened and before she could protect herself, fell to the ground. Looking down, she screamed in pain as her right leg was now gone from her body. Neither of the two noticed Naruto standing over them, looking at them in both disgust and pity.

Turning around, Naruto met the gaze of Tsuranabi. "Leave" the blonde said causing the fellow swordsman to chuckle. "Naruto, you know I can't leave without my property and you also know that you can't take me on in the state that you're in. Hell, Sera could barely take me on in her prime" Tsuranabi said causing Naruto' eyes to narrow and his grip to tighten on his sword. "But don't worry, I have plans for you so just keep on training and when the day comes, I'll be waiting" the man said before vanishing behind Naruto who suddenly fell to his knees. A large bloody X covered his chest as he held onto his sword in an effort to ignore the pain. Slowly looking behind him, he noticed Tsuranabi with his two siblings. To Naruto's surprise, both Menma and Narumi's missing limbs were being regenerated by a red chakra. That was the last Naruto saw of his brother and sister as they vanished into darkness with their leader.

* * *

(Naruto Two Minutes Later)

Naruto was laying on his back breathing slowly when the Konoha nin reached him. Kushina and Yakumo were the first to reach him, both with tears in their eyes. Tsunade quickly moved the two out of the way as she got to work healing the boy. It didn't take long as the cuts weren't very deep but for some reason had drained him of a large amount of his energy. Propping Naruto up on her lap, Kushina stroked her son's face in a motherly way with tears in her eyes. Yakumo was right beside him holding his hand,Tsunade stood examining the blonde, Sasuke, Itachi, and Konan stared at the boy, and Jiraiya had his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Naruto, what happened?" asked Sasuke. Naruto slowly leaned his neck up to answer his friend. "Menma and Narumi along with the leader of the Shinigami's Blade" he said before quietly coughing. "What happened to Menma and Narumi?" Jiraiya asked but to the surprise of everyone without a spiteful tone. Naruto shook his head. "They challenged me and they lost but the leader took me down and then took the two of them" he answered while looking at the Toad Sannin for any type of malice due to the answer. Instead, what he saw was a conflict of emotions raging in the man's eyes. Jiraiya quietly nodded and tried to summon a toad for what seemed to be the tenth time to no avail.

Slowly, Naruto was helped up as the group started to make their way back to the Kiri rebel camp. Naruto while being helped, looked at the sky and smiled. Kiri was free. The smile quickly dropped though as he knew that he had to begin training harder than ever in order to compare to the man who's power he had seen but a glimpse of. There was also the new abilities of his siblings that needed to be contemplated on. Sighing, Naruto shook his head. Just another day in the life of Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, the Lunar Soldier.

* * *

(Mount Myoboku)

Fukasaku sat in front of the Great Toad Sage. "Jiraiya has been trying to summon us, what should we do?" the elder toad asked the sage. The Great Toad Sage was silent for a moment before speaking. "The future is very delicate and Jiraiya has not helped the situation. You will summon him here at a later date so that we may address the issue at hand" the sage said to which Fukasaku simply nodded.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, thanks for all of the reviews and the follows and the favorites. It means a lot to me and I hope that I've been able to keep you entertained and that you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to review if you have any questions or if you just want to leave a comment. I appreciate you all so much. I'll see you all next chapter.


	27. The Fourth Hokage's Will of Fire

ncpfan: I completely understand and I decided to move the post- civil war until next chapter just because I really wanted to focus on the actual battle for that chapter.

zero fullbuster: Thank you and I appreciate the review as always.

PinkiePieParty122894: Yeah they are but they are going to get really powerful soon to I guess a respectable level. But they will probably still be idiots.

Animaman: Jiraiya will get an eye opening encounter the next time he meets the twins and at that point he will know what part he played in the whole prophecy ordeal. Whether or not he survives the encounter is still being decided. For Yagura, he was influenced by Madara who is now dead along with the rest of the Akatsuki but the brainwashing stayed. He will get more training but it will be in the Realm of the Serpents learning from the serpents and a few other people there. As for the council, I kinda nip them in the bud for now this chapter but they will eventually come back in an antagonistic role.

DxGRAYxMAN: It won't be the last maybe, but they will turn into stiff competition later on.

KamiKageRyuuketsu: I'm not 100% sure who your review is directed to whether it's me, Naruto, or someone else but thanks for the review.

777torn777: I'm glad you liked the joke. I'm always a little unsure when I add comedic parts but nice to know that they're appreciated. As for Yakumo and Sasuke's improvement, I've still got quite a few ideas that I think are going to be enjoyable in terms of things they either learn or create.

SalamanderNatsu: Itachi was busy with clan business but had faith in his team (Naruto at the time) to take on whatever challenge came their way. He wasn't expecting Iliel to come in a beat Naruto so a mistake on his part.

* * *

(Konoha)

Minato sat in his office doing the thing he dreaded most. Paperwork. Thankfully, Orochimaru who had been a good assistant to him lately was helping him with the never ending forms and documents. As he continued to sign document after document, his mind began to wander specifically to the topic of Naruto's childhood.

 _Flashback_

The fourth Hokage sat in his study examining the infamous caged bird seal of the Hyuga clan. Recently, he had been asked by the clan leader Hiashi Hyuga to find a way to break the seal without killing the branch members. Minato was happy to accept the request and saw it as a strong mark of progress within the village. He studied the seal carefully when he heard his study door open. Looking up, he was greeted with the sight of his oldest son Naruto. The blonde boy had a nervous look on his face and was holding his left arm as he refused to meet his father's gaze. Shaking his head at the demeanor of his son, he asked "What do you need Naruto?"

Naruto was quiet for a short moment as he contemplated whether or not he should make the request he came with to his father. Shaking his head slightly, Naruto spoke up. "Father, I was looking at a few books on the different subjects of ninja and came across one about fuinjutsu. I was hoping that you could help me learn fuinjutsu" the blonde boy asked with a desperate look on his eyes. Minato gave an annoyed sigh and shook his head. "No Naruto, I'm too busy. Besides, you shouldn't be worrying about the ninja arts until the academy" he said before going back to the caged bird seal. Naruto looked down at the ground but quickly looked back at his father with a determined expression on his face. "But father, Menma and Narumi are being trained in the ninja arts including fuinjutsu so why can't I learn as well?" Naruto asked. Minato sighed once again as he was starting to become annoyed. "They are being trained because they are special Naruto. They need the training more than you do and we need to train them as much as possible. Someday you will be able to join your brother and sister in training, but for now just wait until the academy" Minato said causing Naruto to look down in sadness.

The blonde haired child slowly nodded his head before leaving the room. Once Naruto was gone, Minato put his face in his hands. Personally he wanted nothing more than to train Naruto and teach him the ways of sealing among the other aspects of being a ninja, but according to Jiraiya's prophecy, he needed to make as much time for Menma and Narumi as possible. He didn't have the privilege of treating Naruto equally in terms of training but it did hurt him greatly every time he had to reject his eldest son. For what seemed like the thousandth time in his lifetime, Minato cursed the stupid prophecy that the toads had handed down but knew the consequences of disregarding it. After all, the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. Didn't they?

 _Flashback End_

Minato shook his head of the bitter memories. It was a miracle that his relationship with his son was stable at the moment even though he honestly didn't deserve it. It would always eat at him the way that he discarded his first born son because of a stupid prophecy. Until Naruto left Konoha, he had never felt so stupid. When he found out his son had run away, he immediately sent teams upon teams of trackers from Inuzaka to Hyuga ninja to find his son to no avail. Throughout Naruto's extended absence, Minato had found himself weeping with his wife on more than one occasion. But now his son was back. Unfortunately, his other son and daughter had left the village willingly but Minato knew deep down that they would find them.

Looking down at his desk, he realized that his pile of paperwork had doubled during his reminiscence of past events. Quietly groaning, the blonde got back to work.

* * *

(Just outside of Konoha)

Kuro looked at the sky with a small smile. "Ah what a beautiful day. Perfect weather for killing a kage" he said before turning in the direction of the Hidden Leaf Village. Looking at the village from the field of grass he stood on, he stared at the famous Hokage Monument. Each of Konoha's Hokage's faces were carved into the mountain which in a way immortalized them all. That simply wouldn't do. Reaching behind his back, Kuro pulled his sword from it's sheath. Upon pulling the blade out, the sword began to grow until it reached five feet long and four feet wide with a blueish grey blade. Holding it amazingly with one arm, he aimed the tip of the blade at the mountain.

A tremor began to shake the ground beneath him as a dark orb the crackled with what seemed to be black electricity formed at the tip of the blade. "Go" Kuro whispered. The orb obeyed the request and flew at an incredible speed towards the Hokage Monument. Kuro laid his sword on the ground as it began to shrink to it's original size of a standard katana and laid down on the ground as he waited for the inevitable approach of his target. Flaring his chakra, he waited for Minato Namikaze.

* * *

(Hokage's Office Three Minutes Prior)

Minato and Orochimaru were still doing paperwork when Kakashi entered the room with his report of his ANBU patrol. The masked jounin had decided to go back to ANBU seeing as how Sakura was now in the medical ninja program and Menma and Narumi were gone. As he gave his report, a feeling of power made itself known to the three ninja in the room causing Minato, Kakashi, and Orochimaru to look around for the source. What happened next was something that they wouldn't have believed had they not seen with their own eyes. Looking out the window, the three ninja saw something impact the Hokage Monument but the surprise came after the impact. Whatever hit the mountain at first seemed to just make an impact, but a short moment later a colossal black orb covered the entire mountain. The area near the Monument began to shake violently and people began to scream. Not long after, the black orb simply dissipated but it left nothing behind. The Hokage Monument, the entire mountain, was completely gone. It was as if the mountain never existed in the first place.

Minato, Orochimaru, and Kakashi jumped out of the office and landed on the street. The civilian population was either screaming in panic or crying at the loss of the Monument that exemplified the Hidden Leaf's four most powerful ninja. The ninja were not crying but were shocked beyond expressing any type of true emotion. Most ninja were standing but a few had fallen to their knees at what they had just witnessed. The Hokage Monument, something that had been a source of inspiration for those of the Leaf, something that had stood since the beginning of Konoha even against the mighty Kyuubi, was gone. As Minato, Orochimaru, and Kakashi tried to process what was going on, a flare of enormous power revealed itself to the group. The amount of power sent chills down each of their spines.

The blonde kage looked at Kakashi. "Kakashi. prepare the village for an invasion and protect the civilians" Minato said before turning in the direction of the power that they had sensed, sure that it's source was the cause of this great transgression against the Leaf. Kakashi looked at his sensei as if he were crazy. "Sensei, you can't go after that chakra. Please, we need you to give us orders" Kakashi implored as he feared that the power was too great even for his teacher. "Kakashi, you must take care of the village from the inside for now. Orochimaru and I will go and deal with whoever has dared to attack us" Minato said getting a nod from Orochimaru. Before Kakashi could protest further, Minato and Orochimaru took off prepared for battle.

* * *

(Outside of Konoha)

Minato and Orochimaru quickly made it outside the village and followed the source of power that they had felt earlier. It took a few minutes before the three came to a clearing that was empty except for a single man lying on his back. He had long brown hair, tanned skin, and wore simple ANBU style gear.

"I was wondering when you'd show up but I didn't think that you'd bring company" said the man as he raised his head to meet Minato's gaze. "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't get here sooner considering your reputation as the fastest man in the elemental nations" the man said chuckling. Minato gripped his fists at the jab. "Who are you and are you the one responsible for the attack on the Hokage monument?" Minato asked causing the man to chuckle even louder before getting to his feet. "You really shouldn't ask stupid questions. I'm sure that a prodigy like you has already guessed the answer to those two questions" the man said with a smile causing Minato to quickly take two of his tri-pronged kunai into each of his hands. "You're part of the Shinigami's Blade" Minato said causing Orochimaru to quickly get on guard.

The man picked his sword up from the ground and stabbed it back into the ground while leaning on it with a smile. "Ding ding ding, we have a winner. I am Kuro, member of the Shinigami's Blade and soon to be the killer of the Yondaime Hokage" Kuro said. Minato narrowed his eyes at the man. "You've taken my children. Where are they?" Minato asked causing Kuro to laugh. "We took them? Please, I've never seen two kids as obsessed with killing a sibling as much as them. They are either at the base training or beating the shit out of your son Naruto" he said as he stopped leaning on his sword and stood up straight. Taking a look at Orochimaru, Kuro shook his head. "Now Minato, do you really think that bringing a Sannin that we've already used will make a difference?" Kuro said with a serious look in his eye.

Minato stood his ground as did Orochimaru. "We are ninja of the Leaf and have sworn to defend our home from anyone foolish to attack us" Minato said. Kuro laughed at the statement. "Oh yeah, the "Will of Fire" right? Your "Will of Fire" didn't help you so much against Iliel did it? Each of us are able to take down entire villages on our own. Hell, the only reason Konoha still stands is because I have certain orders that don't involve destroying the Leaf. No, I doubt anyone could defeat us now despite what Leader says. But you already know that you won't win this, don't you?" Kuro asked with a grin. "Now let's see what all the hype is about the fabled Yellow Flash of Konoha" Kuro said as he raised his sword from the ground. Minato got ready in his battle stance. "You made a mistake today, and that mistake will cost you your life. My name is Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of Konoha and the Fourth Hokage. I will protect my village with my life and I swear now that I will take yours" Minato said with a look in his eyes that had not been seen since the day he earned his title of the Yellow Flash.

Once again Kuro chuckled. "Tell yourself whatever lies you need to hear. We both know that your trump card/son is too far away to stop what is about to happen. My former associate took you, the Raikage, and the Tsuchikage on at the same time so I doubt that you alone will prove much of a challenge" he said but was confused when Minato smirked. Throwing his two tri-pronged kunai, Minato shouted "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu" as his two kunai multiplied into two hundred kunai. "Perhaps I should show you why I am known as the fastest man in the elemental nations" said Minato before flashing inside Kuro's guard and landing a hard punch that knocked him backwards a good two feet. He followed up by flashing behind the slightly disoriented Kuro landing a kick to his back that sent him flying forward. Orochimaru did a series of quick handsigns as Kuro flew towards him before saying, "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough" which hit Kuro flying backwards again towards Minato who had a large ball of blue chakra formed in his hand. Meeting the opponent halfway so as to not give Kuro a chance to recover from Orochimaru's attack, he shouted "RASENGAN" as he shoved the ball of chakra into Kuro's back sending the swordsman into the ground. While the enemy was down, Orochimaru did another set of handsigns before saying, "Striking Shadow Snakes" as a multitude of snakes flew from Orochimaru's mouth and covered Kuro both holding him down and sinking their fangs into the man.

Minato and Orochimaru looked at the pile of snakes that covered their enemy whose movements were becoming less and less. When the pile stopped moving, Orochimaru sighed but Minato narrowed his eyes at the sight while keeping two of his kunai at the ready. Orochimaru looked at his Hokage in confusion and just as he was about to ask what was wrong, a loud laughter started to sound. A second later, a black dome surrounded the pile of snakes he was under. The dome was narrowly avoided by the two Leaf ninja as Minato had grabbed Orochimaru and hiraishined out of the immediate area just in time.

The laughter continued as the dome started to vanish leaving Kuro standing with no sign of the many snakes that had held him down. Kuro held out his sword, examining the blade with a smile. "You know, the wonderful thing about my sword is that it can disintegrate anything I choose so long as it hits. I even get to launch attacks like the one on the Hokage Monument if I concentrate hard enough. You two are out of your league" Kuro said looking up with a bit of blood coming from the side of his mouth. Quickly dashing towards the two, Kuro surprised them as instead of going after Minato, he targeted Orochimaru first. Making a quick slash across the Snake Sannin's chest, the man sent Orochimaru flying through two trees before eventually landing unconscious. Minato meanwhile flashed away from his opponent and looked at Orochimaru from the corner of his eye. 'Orochimaru didn't disintegrate. Either Kuro was lying about his ability or he has to have a certain level of concentration to use his ability' thought Minato as he filed that away for later.

"I was told to keep collateral damage to a minimum. I've already filled my quota for collateral today so your Snake Sannin gets to live. Unfortunately for you, your fate hasn't changed" Kuro said before dashing towards the blonde with great speed and is sword at the ready. Just as he swung his blade at the fourth Hokage, he vanished in a flash of yellow light. Less than a second later, a sharp pain was felt in his shoulder. Quickly turning his head, he saw Minato with his signature kunai jabbed into his shoulder wearing a serious look on his face before he flashed away again but this time facing him from a distance. "I don't believe in fate but I do believe in the Will of Fire. That's why you will die here today. Within me lies the legacy of all of Konoha's greatest ninja, the hopes and dreams of the people of the Hidden Leaf Village, and the fire to protect those precious to me. Something that you will never understand" Minato said.

Kuro growled at Minato's short speech and berated himself within his head. 'I don't get it. Iliel almost killed him without suffering even a scratch, why is it so much of a chore now? Has he been training? Of course he has stupid! It doesn't matter, without the hiraishin, he's nothing" Kuro thought as a wicked grin formed on his face. Stabbing his sword into the ground, a large black circle formed around the battlefield which missed Minato barely. The circle eventually formed a large black dome similar to the one that destroyed the Hokage Monument. When the dome dissipated, the battlefield seemed to be the exact same except for one major issue. All of Minato's kunai that had been placed were gone. Picking his sword up, Kuro smiled at his opponent. "I never got why you were considered the fastest man alive when that speed was never your own. At least A of Kumo has some claim to the title since he uses his own chakra for the Lightning Armor but you just use seals to basically perform a shunshin" Kuro said.

Minato didn't react to the insult but instead smirked. "I wouldn't be a good kage if the hiraishin was my only way to become faster than my opponent" Minato said getting a confused look from Kuro. The blonde put his hands together and shouted "Gravity Seals Release", never taking his eyes off of Kuro. Rolling his neck, Minato vanished before Kuro's very eyes and almost instantly appeared in front of him with a heavy uppercut that sent Kuro up in the air. Minato jumped up to follow up the attack by landing punch after punch and kick after kick in an impressive display while in midair. Kuro who was done taking hits from the Hokage swung with his sword in the air only for Minato to vanish before the blade could land. When Minato landed on the ground he looked up at his opponent who was starting to fall. Without a hand sign or a word, three shadow clones popped up next to him and each formed a rasengan in each hand before jumping towards Kuro. Leading the charge, Minato shouted "Rasengan Barrage" as he and his clones each landed two rasengans on the swordsman's body.

When Minato landed, he was panting relatively hard. He gazed at the cloud of smoke that held his now dead opponent. As he was about to sit down, he felt a quick spike in chakra and only thanks to his years of experience as a shinobi was able to avoid a sword strike from his thought to be dead opponent. Kuro was bleeding heavily from his mouth and his shirt was in tatters revealing multiple bloody marks throughout his torso no doubt an effect of taking multiple rasengans. He no longer held the cockiness that he displayed earlier. Now, he was furious. Swinging quickly and viciously at Minato, Kuro growled at each miss but eventually saw an opening. Stabbing before Minato could avoid it, Kuro landed a strike to Minato's shoulder which went out the back of his shoulder causing the man to yell in pain. Minato was able to dislodge the blade quickly as the sword had started to glow blue which he guessed meant disintegration time. Jumping backwards, Minato tried to make distance from Kuro but was too slow as Kuro appeared beside him with a slash to Minato's side that sent him to the ground.

Taking the opportunity given to him, Kuro kneeled on top of Minato to keep him from escaping before punching the man violently in the face breaking his nose. He punched again and again causing the Hokage's face to quickly swell up and blood to run from his mouth. Meanwhile, Kuro continued to dig his knee into Minato's ribs causing immense pain for the blonde. Slowly, Kuro stood up from the man and raised his sword. "You were a strong opponent Minato, but not strong enough" Kuro said before stabbing into the Hokage but was beyond shocked when the victim poofed out of existence. Unfortunately for Kuro, Minato had switched places with a shadow clone that he created when he made the shadow clones for the Rasengan Barrage. Just as the sword started to come down, Minato switched with the clone. The most important thing though is where he switched to. Nearby and completely visible to Kuro were two clones and now Minato who had formed the complete form of Minato's original move. The Rasenshuriken.

Had Kuro not been so angry and focused on hurting Minato as much as humanly possible then he would have easily seen the clones and known what was going on. Now, Kuro was left looking at two clones of Minato Namikaze and the Hokage himself holding a massive chakra shuriken. Thinking quickly, Kuro raised his sword. "You think this is over just because you got to make your special little move? You still have to hit me with it and there's no chance in hell that I will let you!" Kuro said before launching a black orb from his sword at the group of Minato and his clones. Minato saw the attack coming and instead of showing fear, he smiled and vanished in a yellow flash with the Rasenshuriken in hand. Seeing the man vanish in such a way caused Kuro's jaw to drop and then quickly go over how Minato could pull off such a feat without his kunai. His eyes widened when he came to the conclusion and the mistake that he had made. Minato had stabbed him with the kunai and the hiraishin seal had transferred to his body. Before he could make another thought, Minato flashed behind the swordsman and shoved the incredible attack into Kuro ending his existence once and for all.

Minato was knocked backwards from the attack but stayed conscious as he walked over to Orochimaru who was starting to stir. Kneeling down to the Snake Sannin, Minato lightly shook the man awake. When Orochimaru awoke, his eyes immediately widened at the sight of his Hokage. Minato looked beat to hell which made Orochimaru feel useless as he had been unconscious for the battle. "Minato are you okay? We need to get you to the hospital!" Orochimaru started. Minato nodded his head. "I'm fine Orochimaru. The threat to Konoha has been dealt with" he said as he looked behind him at the pile of dust before falling to one knee but was quickly helped up by Orochimaru. Turning to the man, he said "I've got enough in me for one last hiraishin which will take us to my office. Afterwards, I'll go unconscious so I need you to make sure the village is okay, get a message out to Kushina and her group telling them of what happened, and take me to the hospital" Minato said to which Orochimaru obediently nodded and the two flashed out of the battered field.

(Konoha Council Chambers Eight Hours Later)

The council of Konoha was arguing as it always did. Politics, sometimes more of a pain than actual combat missions. The council members were speaking loudly while Orochimaru and Kakashi rubbed their heads in frustration. Orochimaru had done what Minato had asked and Kakashi had met up with him after making sure his sensei was okay. Now the two were busy trying to deal with a possible mutiny peacefully.

"The Hokage just saved s from whoever attacked the Monument. Whoever created that attack was extremely powerful. I'd like to see anyone else in this village try and do what he did today" Shikaku Nara said irritated that he had to be in a council meeting for such a stupid reason. Danzo Shimura shook his head at the conclusion of Shikaku. "We need someone to unite the people in this time of darkness and Minato is not the one to do it" Danzo argued getting murmurs of agreement from council members that he had paid off. The other two elders, Koharu and Homura, nodded in agreement with their fellow elder. "Danzo is right. Minato wasn't ready for the hat when he was given it and has not shown that he is ready now. We as the council of Konoha must be the ones to lead this village and with Danzo as our Hokage, I believe our village will enter a new age of prosperity" said Koharu.

"Is that so" said a voice from within the room. Looking around the room, the council was shocked to see their Hokage standing in the shadows with a cold look on his face. "I don't believe that I called for a council meeting, did I Orochimaru?" Minato asked as he stepped into the light revealing his bandaged form. Orochimaru shook his head at the question. "No Lord Hokage, you didn't" Orochimaru answered as the elders and the civilian council started to sweat while the shinobi council grinned. "So there is discontent with how I'm doing things?" Minato asked but received silence in return. Walking forwards a few more steps, he directed his gaze at the civilian council and the elders. "What's wrong? You were so passionate about deposing me a few moments earlier" Minato said. "Who in here wants my position? I ask because if you do, you must prove that you're strong enough to defend this village. So I ask are any of you willing to fight me for the title of Hokage?" Minato asked and once again got silence.

"Let me remind each of you of your position. You are advisers, people who inform me of the day to day issues within the village, nothing more. You are not the strength of Konoha, you do not rule Konoha. I am the Hokage and I will not accept those who put themselves before the interests of the village" Minato said before raising his right hand up and snapping. Immediately, an ANBU ninja appeared from thin air. "I want each of the civilian council members along with the elders taken to T and I" he ordered causing terror to show on the faces of the civilian council members.

Looking at the shinobi council, he simply said "You're free to go". The shinobi council didn't fear Minato because they knew that he always had Konoha's best interest at heart and would always do what was best for his home. Alienating the civilian council was a small example of that. As the left, the shinobi council members nodded and smiled at their Hokage with respect. Minato nodded and smiled back before taking his seat. "Orochimaru, has the message been sent?" Minato asked to which the Snake Sannin nodded. Looking at Kakashi, Minato asked "How is the village?" with concern on his face. Kakashi nodded at the question. "They're still recovering from shock but we're strong. We'll be okay" Kakashi said to which Minato nodded and looked out his window. "I know we will" the Fourth Hokage said as he faced the village he loved so much, sure that they would pull through despite what had happened today. Feeling tired, Minato said goodbye to Kakashi and Orochimaru before going home. He needed a stiff drink and a good night's rest after today.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, sorry it's taken so long to update. I had to study for exams but now that they're over I should be more consistent with the updates. Happy early Christmas as well to everyone and I hope you all have a good one. I really appreciate all of the reviews and the follows and the view and the favorites. It means a lot to know that so many people are enjoying the story and I am really thankful to all of you. Well, see you next chapter and Merry (Early) Christmas! Also, the council will come back later on in the story in an antagonistic role.


	28. Inner Struggles

1995hzq: Glad that you liked the battle and the council is dealt with for now. I agree about your opinion on the civilian council. I really don't like the civilian council.

PinkiePieParty122894: Happy that you liked the chapter and hope that this one impresses as well.

DxGRAYxMAN: I wanted to give Minato a big moment because I felt like I was making it seem like the kage meant nothing. There will be more Minato badass though so this isn't the end for him and his relationship with Naruto will get stronger especially through training seeing as Naruto hasn't mastered the hiraishin yet.

Zero fullbuster: Thanks and I'm glad that you like it.

777torn777: I felt like I was doing a disservice to the kage so I felt the need to show that the kage are still strong and I really like Minato. I haven't really thought about Orochimaru going sage mode but I could see it happening so it might make an appearance. Kakashi will start to get better and has a kind of large part in the future that will kind of reaffirm his strength.

Animaman: I will go further into what went so wrong in the family both from the parents and Menma and Narumi's perspective in flashbacks. I will also go further into Naruto's training and year with Sera. It took about a month for Minato and Kushina to realize that Naruto had left and it did open their eyes to see what Menma and Narumi were becoming along with Jiraiya's prophecy obsession. I could definitely see Shizune thinking back to moments when she could have helped Naruto but felt it wasn't her place. I'm glad that you like what's happening with Minato and Jiraiya at this point is starting to see the world as it is but is still in the mindset of the twins are confused but his antagonism towards Naruto is starting to simmer down. Whether it returns or whether he lives or dies will be revealed in the story later on.

Guest: When I first started this fanfic, I intended it to be a neglect fic where Naruto really didn't have anyone which is why Jiraiya was and is the way that he is. Obviously the whole neglect thing didn't really work out so I'm slowly bringing Jiraiya back into the mix but he never really had a connection with Naruto in this story and his world started to revolve around Menma, Narumi, and the prophecy. In this story, Tsunade stayed in Konoha so she became close to Minato and Kushina and their family seeing as she is teammates with Minato's sensei. Mikoto would have been a better godmother but I just decided to go with Tsunade instead.

gabeyiscool43: I'm glad that you like the story and hope you continue to enjoy it. Yagura was the Mizukage's name and I wanted to show exactly why Minato was the Hokage and considered by many to be the strongest Hokage (my favorite Hokage). Jiraiya will realize his mistakes but how he reacts afterwards is a secret. Also the consequences may or may not cost him his life. I have decided to keep Itachi and Konan as a couple because I always liked the idea of those two together. Merry Christmas!

Luis Mont: I like the naruhina pairing as well but there are sooo many. I actually was going to make it a naruhina because if you look on like chapter 4 I think, I had Hinata going on Team 11 but I changed it next chapter and still haven't corrected the mistake. But I figured that I could do more with Yakumo as well in terms of writing in her abilities in combat. Anyways, I hope to continue to please.

Wolven Phoenix: Yeah Kuro could've been interesting if he had lived but I wanted to have Minato prove himself. But you will start to see more of Tsuranabi later on and then the twins who are probably the craziest in the whole story are going to become more influential and powerful.

TechnoGalen: Sorry that you didn't like it, hope you find the fanfic you're looking for.

Apedreitor: Yeah I like neglect fics where Naruto's anger is justified but he overcomes the anger and hate. I started the story trying for that but it didn't really go that way but I'm happy where it is now. Naruto will continue to grow and face more adversity as the story goes on. About Narumi and Menma, they are pretty much insane but I don't think I'll make them go that far.

* * *

(Kiri)

Smiles of joy and cheers of celebration were heard throughout Kiri. The people of the Hidden Mist Village had grown tired of the civil war and many had been against the bloodline purges but were too afraid to speak out. Now, there was no need to be afraid. Yagura was gone along with his regime. The ninja that surrendered on the battlefield after the former Mizukage's defeat submitted themselves to the next Mizukage, Mei Terumi.

Mei didn't want the position as it had never been an aspiration of hers, but the overwhelming support for her to take the position gave her the resolve to become the Godaime Mizukage. The first thing that she did when she became the Mizukage was to get rid of the old requirement to become a genin. She made it clear that under her rule, Kiri would wash away the moniker of the Bloody Mist and instead into a country that every ninja of Kiri would be proud to fight for. It was a new day for Kiri and the future looked bright.

(Mizukage's Office )

Mei sat in her new office across from the small group of Konoha nin that had done so much for her country. It had been five days since the death of Yagura and Mei had been working hard for all of them. Now it was time for Kiri to take it's first major step as a new nation by becoming allies with the nation that sent help when they needed it. The auburn haired Mizukage looked over the group especially the three chunin with a smile.

"When you first arrived to provide your assistance, I was insulted. I thought that it was a joke formulated by Konoha to embarrass the rebels but I was wrong. All of you proved to be major parts in our victory. Without you, I don't believe that we could have defeated Yagura. I also never would have thought that a group of three chunin would be able to take down a jinchuriki kage so it's been a week of surprises. In any case, I underestimated each of you and for that I am truly sorry" Mei said sincerely slightly shocking the Konoha nin.

Kushina took the opportunity to answer the new leader. "Lady Mizukage-" "Mei, to all of you it's just Mei" the Mizukage interrupted to which Kushina nodded. "Mei, we we glad that we were able to help and no apology is necessary. I'm just glad that the civil war is over and I hope that our alliance will become strong" Kushina said with a smile before turning serious. "Mei, there is a great threat to the ninja world" the red head said causing Mei to raise an eyebrow. Naruto stepped forward to address Mei. "Mei, there is a group of swordsmen known as the "Shinigami's Blade". Each member has the power to take out an entire ninja village alone and each one holds a special ability that makes them far more dangerous than any other opponent" Naruto said. "What do they want?" Mei asked. "World Peace" Naruto responded but decided to elaborate upon the looks of confusion from Mei, Ao, and Chojuro. "They believe that the only way to peace is by submission. They want everyone to bow to them. No one will be above another, everyone would be equal as slaves to the Shinigami's Blade" he finished.

Mei was silent as she digested the information that she had just been given. "What can I do to help?" she asked. "Keep an eye out for anyone suspicious and get the Village of the Mist back on track" said Naruto with a small smile which slowly spread to Mei despite the severity of the situation. "And you better get stronger Chojuro because I need a strong rival to clash swords with" Naruto said with a smirk. The blue haired swordsman nodded with a smile. Kushina put her hand on her son's shoulder and nodded with a smile. "Well Mei, it's time that we return to Konoha. We wish you luck and we'll hear from you soon" she said outstretching her hand to the Mizukage. Mei nodded with a smile and shook the hand. Ao smiled at the sight. "Though the relationship between our two villages was broken before, I am glad to see our villages as partners now" Ao said with a smile oblivious to the dark look now on his Mizukage's face. 'Relationship, partners' "Shut up Ao before I kill you" she said with a scary smile.

As the group said their final goodbyes, Yakumo made sure to get the autograph of her literary hero. After being given the autograph, Mei whispered something into Yakumo's ear that caused her to turn a very deep shade of red as she joined Naruto's side. The Mizukage also tried to make one last pass at the eldest Uchiha until the man was dragged away by Konan. Sighing and muttering something about the good ones always being taken, she told them goodbye but not before telling Sasuke to let her know if he ever wanted a shot with her. Her proposition left the Uchiha in a state that required his team to carry him out. When the Konoha group left, Mei sat in her chair and chuckled. Things looked good for Kiri for the first time in a very long time.

* * *

(Kiri Gates)

The Konoha crew had just exited the gates of Kiri when a Kiri ANBU caught them. "Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze?" asked the ANBU looking at the red headed jounin for confirmation. When Kushina nodded, the ANBU quickly handed her an envelope before using the shunshin to leave.

Kushina examined the envelope that she had been handed and looked on the back to see that it had the seal of Konoha. Upon examination, she opened the envelope and read the letter that had been sealed inside. As she read the contents of the letter, her face grew deathly pale. After she was finished reading the note, she fell to her knees in shock and the letter fell out of her hands. Naruto and Tsunade immediately went to calm Kushina down while Jiraiya picked up the letter and read the contents himself. His reaction was similar to Kushina's except he was able to keep from falling to the ground. As Kushina and Jiraiya were stunned silent, the rest of the Konoha ninja looked between the two for a response or explanation.

"Jiraiya, what was in the letter?" asked Tsunade as she rubbed Kushina's back in an attempt to calm the woman from her shock. Jiraiya was silent for a long while before finally being able to muster up the ability to pass on the message. "A member of the Shinigami's Blade attacked Konoha" Jiraiya said causing everyone's eyes to widen except for Naruto's which just narrowed. "The member took out the entire Hokage Mountain, all of it. Minato took him on and killed him but was injured badly in the process" he finished leaving everyone in shock except for Naruto who stood up quickly. "We need to get home fast" Naruto said but got no response from his fellow ninja.

Shaking his head at their states of shock he shouted "Guys!" causing everyone to look at him. "I know that you're all shocked and afraid but we have to get to Konoha as fast as possible" he said which seemed to cause a small amount of relief to enter into the group. Slowly standing up, Kushina nodded, proud of her son's resolve. "Naruto's right, we have to get there as soon as possible. Jiraiya, can you summon a toad to take us to Konoha?" Kushina asked which gained a doubtful look in the Toad Sannin's eyes. "I can try Kushina but I can't promise anything right now" he said before biting his thumb and yelling out "Summoning Jutsu". Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Naruto looked down in thought after Jiraiya's failed summon attempt. "Let's get some distance from Kiri and I'll get us home in an hour" Naruto said confusing Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Konan but receiving a look of understanding from his teammates, his sensei, and his mother. At Naruto's declaration, the group took off quickly in the direction of Konoha.

* * *

(Kiri)

The Konoha group had traveled for about twenty minutes before Naruto called for them to stop. "Okay everyone, I recommend that you stand back" he said as the group moved away from the blonde chunin. Biting his left thumb and rubbing it on his summoning tattoo, Naruto shouted "Summoning Jutsu". Once the words had left his mouth, a field of mist began to surround the immediate area until a large blue serpent rose from the mist itself. When the serpent completely rose out of the mist, it reached just above the tree line and had caused more than a few trees around it's area to fall. Lowering it's head, the serpent focused on it's summoner. "Naruto, I sense no battle nearby. For what reason have you summoned me?" asked the serpent as it spoke to the blonde. "Hello Celeritas, thank you for answering my call. I have not called you for a battle. There has been an attack on my village and my father has been injured. I was hoping that you could get us to Konoha seeing as how you are the fastest of the serpents" Naruto said in a respectful manner.

Celeritas gave a subtle nod before turning in the direction of Konoha. "I shall get you near Konoha in less than an hour" spoke the serpent. Naruto smiled at the answer to his request. "Okay everyone, climb on Celeritas' back with me" said the blonde as he had to jump using chakra to reach the serpent's back. The rest of the group were shocked at the sight of such a powerful beast existing much less being summoned by a teenager. Eventually, everyone became focused enough to join Naruto albeit quite slowly.

Once everyone had settled on the serpent's back, Kushina took it upon herself to be the advocate for the environment. "Naruto, we can't just run through all the trees between us and Konoha" said the Uzumaki. Naruto chuckled and Celeritas nearly smiled at the comment. "Don't worry mom, the environment will be fine. Oh one more thing, the way that we're about to travel has to be kept secret. It will also take a small toll on you guys since it's your first time" Naruto warned. Before the rest of the group could ask for clarification, mist started to rise from the ground and overtake the group as Celeritas started to move in a circle. Celeritas began to spin faster and faster before the creature became unrecognizable. Just as it couldn't spin any faster, it vanished in a swirl of mist.

* * *

(Fire Country)

A circle of mist started to form about fifteen minutes away from Konoha. Thirty seconds later, the form of Celeritas along with the Konoha ninja that were on it's back appeared still spinning. Once the spinning gradually ended, Naruto jumped off the serpent without any sort of effect on him. The rest of the Konoha group however were holding in their own vomit, too afraid to let it out and get some on the fearsome creature they had used to travel. Slowly, the group got off of the serpent and immediately fell to the ground holding their heads and puking their guts out. Naruto and Celeritas watched with amused looks on their faces before the blonde dismissed his summon which left in a cyclone of mist.

It took ten minutes for the Konoha group to stop throwing up and regain their senses. After finally being able to stand up, Sasuke looked at Naruto with an angry expression on his face. "Naruto, what the hell was that?" yelled the Uchiha. Naruto crossed his arms with a smile. "That was Vortex Travel. Celeritas is the only serpent with the ability to use it making him the fastest serpent and probably the fastest creature alive" Naruto answered. Looking around at his surroundings, Naruto nodded when he recognized the area they were in. "Now, if we hurry we can make it there in ten minutes" Naruto said before turning and jumping trees towards Konoha. Everyone else slowly followed mumbling about why Naruto didn't use his summon in the civil war or to just get to Kiri.

* * *

(Hokage Office)

Minato sat in his office while Shizune gave him a medical evaluation along with her assistant Sakura Haruno. Looking at the pink haired aspiring medic, Minato couldn't help but feel a bit of shame after what his lost son had done to her. As he continued to look at her, Sakura noticed and asked "Is something wrong Lord Hokage?" raising her notebook. Minato shook his head. "No, I just, I never apologized for the actions of Menma and I want you to know that I am truly sorry Sakura" he said with a look that held a bit of sadness in it. Sakura shook her head at the apology. "You don't have to apologize Lord Hokage. You weren't the one who sent me to the hospital. Besides, I'm happy now that I've found my calling" said Sakura with a smile. The pink haired medic's response caused a small smile to appear on Minato's face and a chuckle to come from Shizune. "Your calling indeed. She has a future in medical ninjutsu and her chakra control is better than most chunin level medics right now. Pretty soon, she'll be the one doing these evaluations on you for your reckless behavior. And from what I've seen so far, Naruto's reckless behavior as well" she said with a grin.

The blonde Hokage smiled at Shizune's comparison between him and his son. "Well you know what they say, like father like son" the blonde said with a wide smile which earned him a hit to the head from Shizune and a giggle from Shizune. "Idiot" the dark haired medic muttered before stepping away from her patient. "Well, your ribs and shoulder are healing normally but you have to stop exhausting your chakra. I swear, you and your son give off more chakra than a jinchuriki. I shouldn't have to tell you this Minato" she said sternly which got a sigh from Minato. "I know Shizune, but out there it was all or nothing. Sometimes, I have no choice" Minato said getting a nod from Shizune and with that, the two medics left the office as Orochimaru entered. Seeing his second in command arrive, Minato stood up.

"Orochimaru what's up?" asked Minato. Orochimaru shook his head at the question. "The ninja community has applauded your actions against the civilian council but supporters of the civilian council are spreading it around that you are becoming a tyrant" the Snake Sannin answered which caused Minato to laugh and quickly hold his ribs afterwards. "Let them say what they want, this is a ninja village protected by and run by ninja since it's founding. Did Ibiki and Anko get anything out of the council members I sent to them?" Minato asked which got a smile from Orochimaru in response as he set a stack of papers on Minato's deck causing the man to groan. "Money laundering, conspiracy, bribery, the list goes on and it's detailed in those reports" the Sannin said getting a nod from the Hokage who stared at the reports for a long moment before looking back at Orochimaru. "I can't get a handle on what the Shinigami's Blade. They attacked the Leaf but the real intention was to kill me. Why, I don't know other than the glory of assassinating a kage. They have my children which means they have plans that involve the Kyuubi. Ugh, I can't figure out what they are gonna do next. It's so calculated yet so random at the same time. All we know is that the goal for them is peace by submission which I'm guessing won't be voluntary" Minato said holding his head.

Orochimaru shook his head. He too had been trying and failing to predict what their next action might be. Thinking about the Shinigami's Blade, another thought crossed Orochimaru's mind causing him to look up. "Minato, I have a request" Orochimaru said getting a confused look from the Hokage. "Lately, bits and pieces of my memories have been coming back to me and I've had one strong recurring memory. In Oto, there was a boy named Kimimaro. He was a boy with the last Bone Pulse kekkai genkai who was dedicated to helping me in whatever I wished no matter the consequence or the wish. He is deathly ill and still in Oto. I believe that Tsunade could heal him and that he would be a great asset to our ranks as well so I request leave to infiltrate Oto and recover Kimimaro for the Leaf" Orochimaru said with a blank face. Minato looked at the Sannin for a long moment before smiling. He saw in Orochimaru's eyes that it was more than that. Orochimaru didn't want to recover Kimimaro just for the good of the village. After all, a father knows another father's concerned look when he sees it. "Okay Orochimaru but I want this quiet. Do you need any backup?" asked the blonde which got a shake of the head from Orochimaru. "No Minato" Orochimaru said before leaving. Just as he was about to leave, Orochimaru said "Thank you" without turning around and he left.

* * *

(Konoha)

Naruto and the rest of the group had made it back home and just stared at the spot that the Hokage Mountain used to be in both shock and anger. The Hokage Monument was a symbol of the Will of Fire that had been passed on from Hokage to Hokage. It was a heavy strike at the people of the Leaf. Shaking his head and knowing that this was only a precursor of much bigger things to come if the Shinigami's Blade were not stopped. Getting out of their shock, the group walked through the village but anger began to raise within the group as they heard the conversations in the street. 'I heard that the Hokage has gone mad', 'The Hokage needs to step down after letting this happen', 'We never had to deal with this with the past Hokage' were the comments made by the villagers as they gossiped about things that they knew nothing about.

It seemed like hours had passed in the walk from the gates of the village to the Hokage tower. Confusion and anger filled each of the ninja as they continued to hear the traitorous thoughts of their fellow villagers. Quickly entering the tower, they made their way to Minato's office and entered without a knock.

Minato was going over the reports that he got from Orochimaru when Kushina and her squad walked in. Seeing his wife and son, he stood with a wide smile. "Welcome back. I take it that things went well in Kiri?" he asked. No one answered his question and Minato's smile dropped as he noticed that each of the ninja in front of him had an angry look on their face. Kushina stepped forward. "Minato, what happened while we were gone?" Kushina asked. Minato sighed at the question and looked at Team 11. "Naruto, Yakumo, Sasuke, maybe you should leave" Minato said but Kushina shook her head quickly. "No Minato, they stay. Tell us why the villagers are questioning your abilities as Hokage" she asked with a stern look on her face. Minato put a hand on his head as a migraine was starting to form before he answered. "I told you in the message about the attack. Well after the fight, the council held a meeting without my knowledge which resulted in me alienating the civilian council by sending them all to T&I. I didn't expect all of you to get here so soon, so I've been trying to do damage control for now. Speaking of which, how did you get here so quickly?" Minato asked and everyone looked at Naruto. "Serpents" was the only word that came out of Naruto's mouth before he went into his own thoughts.

The Hokage nodded at the short explanation. Summons could do incredible things so using a summon to get from Kiri to Konoha quickly wasn't out of the question. "So how was the mission?" Minato asked again. The expressions of the ninja in front of him quickly changed. Kushina, Konan, Itachi, and Tsunade looked at the three chunin in pride as Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke just smiled. Jiraiya however looked at the ground. "The mission in helping the rebel side to secure Kiri was a success. I have the treaty with me sent from the new Mizukage, Mei Terumi" Kushina said with a smile as she put a scroll on her husband's desk. When she returned to her position, she dropped a bombshell that none of the three chunin saw coming. "Minato, I would like to nominate Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Yakumo Kurama, and Sasuke Uchiha for the position of jounin" which gained nods from Itachi and Tsunade. Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke were completely shocked. Minato looked at his wife and Itachi seeing a level of pride he had never seen before. "I take it this is referring to something that happened during the civil war. Perhaps it would be best if you explained to me what happened and why they should be made jounin" Minato said.

For the next ten minutes, Kushina, Itachi, and Tsunade described everything that they witnessed the chunin of Team 11 achieve. By the time that the explanation was over, Minato was completely flabbergasted. A group of chunin with the ability to kill a kage that was a jinchuriki as well. It was impossible but Team 11 had done it. Only months ago, Itachi had said that this team had the potential to surpass the legendary Sannin and it seemed that the Uchiha's prediction was coming true. Turning to Team 11 and looking at his son in particular, he smiled. "Well Team 11, after hearing such a compelling argument from such influential ninja, I must say that I'm inclined to believe them. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Yakumo Kurama, Sasuke Uchiha, I hereby promote you three to jounin" said the Hokage proudly. Sasuke smiled at the announcement and said "Thank you Lord Hokage, we humbly acce-" "I'm sorry Lord Hokage but I must refuse" interrupted Naruto causing everyone to look at him strangely. "This was my first mission as a chunin and I feel like I need more experience in the ninja world before I'm ready to accept the position of jounin" Naruto said with a smile. Yakumo looked at her boyfriend and smiled at his answer. "Lord Hokage, I also refuse for the same reasons" she said with a smile. Everyone now turned to look at Sasuke who's jaw was slightly ajar from his teammates' rejection of such an offer. "But I, we, sigh, I refuse as well" said Sasuke who looked at the ground mumbling about stupid blondes having to be noble.

The adults smiled at the wisdom and patience shown by the members of Team 11. They were a prime example of the Shodaime's Will of Fire. "Very well, this mission started as a high A rank but I think that due to the circumstances it should be upgraded to an S rank" Minato said writing something down on a piece of paper and handing it to Naruto. "Take that to where you get your mission pay. Team 11, good job" Minato said which got a smiling nod from each of the members of Team 11. Naruto stepped forward but stopped for a second as a flash of pain went through his head. Shaking it off, Naruto took the payment scroll and Team 11 left. After Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke left, Tsunade decided to leave and check up on things at the hospital while Konan dragged Itachi out quickly. With only Kushina and Jiraiya remaining, Minato noticed the serious looks on their faces. Kushina spoke first. "Minato, Menma and Narumi appeared after Team 11 fought Yagura. Naruto fought and beat them but the leader of the Shinigami's Blade was there. The leader injured Naruto and took Menma and Narumi with him. Minato, they aren't just angry or confused anymore, they tried to kill their brother" Kushina said causing Minato's eyes to widen.

Jiraiya stepped forward at Kushina's announcement. "I need to interrupt with a request Lord Hokage" said Jiraiya formally, shocking Kushina and Minato. "Lord Hokage, I request the opportunity to leave and search for Menma and Narumi. Now that Orochimaru is back within our ranks, I won't be missed" said the Sannin in a sad tone before looking at the Hokage in the eyes. "For some reason, the toads are not responding to my summons so could you summon Fukasaku for an explanation?" asked Jiraiya looking at the floor. Minato didn't move for a long moment as he took in the seemingly defeated demeanor of his teacher before nodding and summoning Fukasaku. With a poof of smoke, the elder toad appeared on Minato's desk. "Minato boy, what's wrong?" asked the old toad when he appeared. Minato simply pointed behind the toad at Jiraiya.

Turning to look at the long time summoner, Fukasaku sighed when he saw Jiraiya. "Hello Jiraiya" the old toad said. "You wish to know why we have not answered your summons I presume?" the toad asked which gained a silent nod from the man. "Jiraiya, there have been discussions among the toads about whether or not you are still worthy of summoning us. We told you the prophecy that was received from the Great Toad Sage but many feel that you are making a negative impact on the prophecy itself" he said expecting an argument but Jiraiya simply nodded causing Fukasaku to feel bad for the man that had made the toads famous among the elemental nations. "Jiraiya, it is only talks. Shima, Gamabunta, myself, and many of the other toads still believe in you" the elder toad said in an attempt to raise the man's spirits. It seemed to work as Jiraiya raised his head with determination in his eyes. "Fukasaku, I am going in search of Menma and Narumi. I have dishonored the toads but I ask that when the time comes, you assist me one last time" he said looking at the toad. Fukasaku looked at the man that he had known since he was just a genin and nodded. "We will, but it will not be the last time that we assist you Jiraiya" Fukasaku said, nodding before he left in a poof of smoke.

Looking at the Hokage, Jiraiya asked "So may I take time off to search for Menma and Narumi Lord Hokage?" Minato nodded at the request. "Be careful Sensei" Minato said which caused Jiraiya to smile for the first time in a long time.

* * *

(Underground Konoha)

Danzo sat in a large room along with many of the former civilian council members and his two fellow elders along with a number of ROOT and corrupt ninja. "Minato Namikaze has become arrogant and believes that he is above the people of Konoha. This must not stand. The village of Konoha is run by the people of Konoha and we must emphasize that point. The time of his reign must come to an end and so I ask all of you to help me in taking back Konoha from this fool. He is a boy playing Hokage and does not know what is best for us so we must remove him from power" Danzo said getting a chorus of agreement from the council members and the corrupt ninja. Danzo smirked at their eagerness to depose the Yellow Flash which would lead to him getting the position that had been held from him for so long. The position that he deserved. He would become the Hokage.

* * *

(Shinigami's Blade Base)

Tsuranabi sat in his office with a frown. The defeat of Kuro was unexpected but was only a minor setback in his plan. He would have been upset had he not made a discovery that would lead to Naruto unlocking his fullest potential. And when Naruto reached his fullest potential, he would take it all and become the strongest being in the elemental nations. It wouldn't matter how big of an army, how many rebelled against him, he would be far too powerful by then. One boy stood in his way of his world of true peace. Just as he started to plan his next move, Sashira entered his office and told him that Menma and Narumi had awoke and their bodies were restored. Leaving his office with a smile, he couldn't help the excitement that filled him.

Left on Tsuranabi's desk was a map of a place that had been forgotten by the ninja world. A small village but significant nonetheless known simply as Paradise. It was there that Tsuranabi's plan to have Naruto unlock his full potential would occur.

* * *

(Paradise)

The sun shined brightly on the village known as Paradise. Simply a peaceful village that had never known conflict in it's entire history. A small girl with long black hair ran through her peaceful village trying to get home. When she reached her house door, she quietly opened it and crept in. Noticing that her mother had her back turned still cooking, the girl silently crept towards the stairs to get to her room. "Where were you?" sounded the voice of the mother who had still not turned away from cooking. The girl sighed and walked into the kitchen. "I just went to play that's all" the little girl said approaching her mother reaching only her hip. The mother turned to look at her daughter with slight concern in her eyes. "I've told you not to leave without me" the mother lightly scolded. The girl turned and pouted which caused a smile to appear on the mother's face as she bent down to her daughter's level. "Aiko, I just want you to be safe" the mother said putting a hand on the girl's face.

Aiko nodded at her mother's explanation. "I know mom. I just wanted to play" the girl said looking at her mother who stood up and went back to cooking. "Okay, just let me know when you go out next time" the mother said causing a smile to appear on Aiko's face. "I will Mom I promise" she said before going upstairs. Halfway up, a short moment of pain flashed through her head but was gone quickly. Shaking it off, Aiko went up to her room.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hope everyone like this chapter. Couple of things. First and foremost, MERRY CHRISTMAS (eve) ! Thank you everyone for all of the support that you have all given this story, it means a lot to me. I've decided that Sasuke will have a love interest but I won't say who it is. Also, I'm bringing in Kimimaro for reasons that will be seen later on. Jiraiya will find the twins but I won't say whether or not he dies. Also, Paradise is key for a couple of reasons that will be explained later. See you next chapter and Merry Christmas!


	29. A Break From The Ninja World

DxGRAYxMAN: Yeah things are going to be getting interesting with Danzo especially since I plan to have him with the sharingan arm but I won't say how just yet, I think I'll just reveal it in the story.

The Sith'ari: It is a cool idea and there will definitely be thoughts of betrayal from Menma and Narumi later on, but I can't say whether or not they take action because they are going to get a lot more powerful but they will get relatively smarter as well so I won't rule out that they attack Tsuranabi if he gets weakened. Of course they might not get the chance or they might get the chance, I'll keep it a secret.

Animaman: I plan to have the Shizune flashbacks and thoughts during Yakumo's chapter because that is when I plan to really start to introduce more of the Konoha characters. Jiraiya will definitely come to a certain realization when he finds the twins and it will kind of affect his actions towards the twins when he finds them. During Naruto's training trip, he will realize something and he will have a chat with his parents, Kakashi, Tsunade, etc, when he returns from the training trip. A lot of issues that he hasn't really discussed with his family that have been sort of ignored elephants in the room will be addressed when he gets back.

PinkiePieParty122894: Due to his own actions no it's not because he has been an asshole so far. Your opinion may change later or it may be reinforced with his future actions.

1995hzq: Yeah I didn't want Team 11 to advance too fast because I feel that they need to just enjoy where they are at for now. Danzo is a snake who I hate (hahaha that rhymes) but his ROOT will be quite formidable.

Midnight49: The tone I got from your reviews is excitement so I am happy that you are enjoying the story so much. Quick note about Sakura is that she will be getting more screen time and might even slide in as a fourth member of Team 11, idk yet.

Dustypot: Thanks I'm glad that you like it so much and I hope that I continue to impress.

Wolven Phoenix: Happy late birthday and Happy Holidays etc to you as well.

xXKentonHatakeXx: Just looked up Serafall Leviathan and it was a complete coincidence. I've never seen or actually heard of High School DxD before now.

marek337: I'm glad that you like it and I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

(Naruto's Room)

Naruto tossed and turned in his bed as he lay trapped inside a nightmare. Deep within his consciousness, Naruto watched as his parents, Jiraiya, and Tsunade praised his siblings. Shaking his head at the image, Naruto turned away only to see a smaller and younger version of himself standing at a distance. The little blonde boy wanted to join his family and be noticed but as he took a step towards the group, he hit a barrier of some sort that prevented him from joining in. Banging on the barrier, the little Naruto yelled for his parents to hear him, for his godparents to hear him, for his siblings to hear him. Yelling louder and banging harder, the little boy cried as he got no reaction from the people he held closest in his heart.

The real Naruto frowned and clenched his fists at the sight. He knew the pain because he lived the pain that he was witnessing. Everything he saw were simply memories of how things used to be and what caused him to change but things immediately took a turn when the group that ignored little Naruto turned to the real Naruto, all of them smiling. "Such a naive idiot. You really think that we regret what we did? Do you really think that I didn't hear or see your calls for attention? I wanted you gone and I wanted you to stay gone but you just had to come back and ruin everything" said Kushina with a sneer. Naruto looked at his mother with a confused and hurt look. Minato laughed at the sight of his son's obvious distress. "He really thought that we cared about him. We had the perfect family except for you. You were always the one that never belonged, but you already knew that didn't you?" said Minato with his arms crossed.

Menma and Narumi stepped forward with sadistic grins across their faces. "You're nothing compared to us. You're just an insect to be stepped on, you have no one and you'll never have anyone" said Menma with Narumi, their parents, and the two Sannin nodding in agreement. "Soon you will die and our return will be rejoiced. We'll be praised for ending your pathetic existence" Narumi said making the younger Naruto shake in fear, backing away with tears in his eyes. The real Naruto who had looked down at the ground the moment his father made his opinion known started to laugh loudly. Looking at his brother and sister's faces, Naruto smirked. "You can try, but so far I haven't lost to you yet and I don't plan on that changing. So you can plague my mind all you want but it will do you no good" the blonde said standing tall. The little Naruto seeing his older self so confident, wiped his eyes and stood tall as well.

"Oh the lies we tell ourselves" said a dark voice that broke through Naruto's barrier of confidence. A dark pillar of smoke rose in front of Naruto before it took form of Naruto himself. The only difference in their appearance was that the newcomer seemed to be lacking any color. Before Naruto could examine the form's appearance, it spoke. "We both know that behind your bravado, you're still afraid. You've just gotten your family back, but is it real. Were they truly repentant for neglecting you or was it on purpose? Your mother is an Uzumaki, a clan who holds family above all else. How could she neglect her first born unless by choice? And what of your father and his role in neglecting you? What will happen when Menma and Narumi are returned to Konoha? Will you be thrown to the side like before? Don't pretend that you haven't had these thoughts before. I should know because I am the culmination of these thoughts. You are still the angry child that you were when you ran away from home, you've just gotten better at hiding it" the dark form said with a smile.

Naruto awoke from his sleep gasping for air and his heart beating as if he were in battle. Sweat covered the blonde's face and matted his hair. Slowing his breathing and wiping his face with his hand, he repeated to himself that it was only a nightmare. Looking out his window, he saw the source of his power shining brightly upon his village. Shaking his head, Naruto got out of his bed and headed outside.

(Namikaze Compound Roof)

Naruto sat on the roof of his house staring at the moon, waiting for a certain someone to appear to him. "I've gotta say I'm impressed" said the familiar voice of Naruto's teacher Sera. "Taking down a kage, and a jinchuriki at that. You've made me proud kid" the blue haired swordsman said as she sat next to the blonde. Naruto continued to look at the moon despite her appearance. "The leader of the Shinigami's Blade said that he had plans for me. He could have killed me in Kiri but he didn't and I think that you know why" Naruto said needing answers from his teacher. Sera shook her head and sighed. "Naruto, I don't know everything and I'm not everywhere. I'm dead and can only see the world through you. The goal of Tsuranabi is nothing short of world domination which in his twisted mind leads to peace. I was not able to beat him but I know that you can" Sera said in an attempt to answer her apprentice's question.

The blonde swordsman shook his head and clenched his fists. Sera watched her apprentice while preparing for him to attempt to hit her spiritual image. To her surprise, instead of throwing a punch the boy looked at his master with tears in his eyes. Tears that stabbed the deceased woman's heart deeply. "Why? Why did you have to die? Why did you make me kill you? Why did you hold back?" the boy asked as Sera bit her lip to keep from crying herself. "How did you know that I held back?" Sera asked. Naruto snorted at the question. "I was a kid with no battle experience outside of spars with you who managed to take down one of the strongest swordsman in the entire world. You could have killed me at any point of our duel but you didn't and let me kill you" Naruto said causing the blue haired woman beside him to sigh. "I was on a time limit. When I left the Shinigami's Blade, I was wounded fatally by Tsuranabi. The wound he gave me was a slow decay of my insides. I had maybe three years tops after I got away and I didn't know what to do. That's when I ran into you. I saw in you a potential swordsman to pass along my power and hopefully stop Tsuranabi. I put you through the crash course but was not able to completely train you. That's why I am able to stay at your side" Sera said placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Naruto nodded and looked at his teacher. "I need to get stronger fast. Tsuranabi is miles ahead of me so I need to complete my training" Naruto said to which Sera nodded. "I know. You also have to finish your transformation training with the Serpents. It'll take another year of training but the results will be worth it" Sera said looking at her apprentice for any kind of reaction. Naruto just looked at his master and nodded. "If that's what it takes, but can I have a week before I start?" Naruto asked, not feeling great about having to leave so soon after getting into the fold with his family and friends. Sera smiled at the boy's request. "Why? You gonna spend some time with your girlfriend?" Sera said nudging the now blushing Naruto.

Naruto continued to endure another hour of Sera's teasing before getting off the roof and returning to bed.

(Namikaze Compound Next Day)

Naruto sat at the table enjoying a bowl of ramen prepared by his mother for breakfast. Minato sat next to Naruto and was joined by Kushina shortly after and both started to eat their bowls of ramen. As Naruto finished his bowl, he looked at his parents deciding that it was time to break it to his parents about his training trip. "Mom, dad" said Naruto getting his parents attention. "Listen, I've got to go away for awhile" he said causing his mother and father to adopt confused looks on their faces. "I have to return to the realm of the Serpents so that I can finish my training" Naruto briefly explained. "For how long?" asked Minato. Naruto sighed at the question. "It will take a year of training before I return to Konoha" Naruto said trying getting a nod from his father. Minato knew the importance of training with your summons from when he had to take a training trip with the toads. Kushina on the other hand did not have the same knowledge.

"Why can't they come to you? Why do you have to go there? Why do you have to be gone for a year?" asked the red head in rapid succession. "Mom, I have to go to the Serpents' realm because that's where I can best learn the techniques that I have to learn. I have to do this but I won't be leaving until next week" Naruto answered. Kushina looked ready to put her foot down and forbid Naruto from going but Minato interrupted before she could make her opinion known. "Have you told your team?" asked the blonde Hokage. Naruto shook his head in response. "No but I'm gonna tell them today" Naruto said before looking at his mother.

Kushina didn't want Naruto to go. Menma and Narumi leaving hurt her heart enough but having all three of her children out of her grasp was even worse. But as Kushina looked at her son, she realized that her baby boy was growing up and he technically was an adult according to the shinobi code. Reluctantly nodding, Kushina sat up straight. "I expect you to be back in exactly one year after you leave and I want at least three letters a week about how you are doing" Kushina said causing Naruto to chuckle and nod. Minato smiled at his wife's conditions before looking at his son. "I'll put you on for temporary leave. I will need weekly updates on your progress and of course personal updates as well" Minato said. Naruto nodded at his father's conditions. "I was also thinking that maybe we could have a small get together so that I can see everyone before I leave" Naruto suggested getting nods of agreement from his parents. "That sounds great Naruto. Who did you want to invite?" Kushina asked.

Naruto crossed his arms in thought. "Yakumo and Sasuke of course. Itachi and Konan and I suppose Tsunade as well. Maybe Yakumo's parents and Sasuke's parents. I was thinking about having it in two days" Naruto said getting smiles from his parents. "Sounds good Naruto. I'll get to work prepping the house and I'll make sure to make lots of ramen" Kushina said with ramen bowls in her eyes. Naruto and Minato sweatdropped at Kushina's obsession of ramen. Both blondes liked ramen but Kushina was in love with the stuff.

* * *

(Yakumo's House Two Hours Later)

Naruto stood at the door of his girlfriend's house waiting on someone to answer the door. His plan was to tell Yakumo and her parents about the little going away party that he was having and give them their verbal invitation. His mother was going to inform Sasuke and his family since she was going over to the Uchiha estate to visit Mikoto anyway. After a few more seconds of waiting, the door opened revealing a dark haired man with a mustache. "Yes, how may I help you?" asked the man. "Hello sir, you are the father of Yakumo right?" asked the blonde getting a slow nod from the man as his eyes narrowed at the boy in front of him. "Um, it's nice to meet you. I'm Naruto Namikaze and I'm-" Naruto didn't get any further as he was lifted up by his shirt by the man in front of him. "So you're the boy who thinks that he's good enough to date my baby girl?" the man asked with a dangerous tone. Before Naruto could respond, he was dropped onto the ground. When the blonde looked up, he saw Yakumo's father holding his head and a woman standing next to the man with her arms crossed.

When the woman noticed that Naruto was still on the ground, she reached out her hand which Naruto took and helped him up. "Hi Naruto, I'm Yakumo's mom, Uroko. And this is my idiot husband Murakumo" she said introducing her husband who was still holding his head. "Why don't you come inside?" the woman said smiling before turning and walking inside. Naruto and Murakumo obediently followed Uroko to the kitchen. Naruto sat in a chair when Uroko motioned for him to sit down. "I'll go tell Yakumo that you're here" Uroko said with a smile before leaving to inform her daughter of her boyfriend's arrival. Meanwhile, Murakumo walked around the kitchen counter so that he was facing the boy that was dating his daughter. Both Naruto and Murakumo were silent for a long moment before Naruto decided to end the quiet awkwardness between the two. "So it's nice to finally meet you" Naruto said nervously but only got a glare from Murakumo.

The man crossed his arms and frowned at the boy in front of him. "They say that you are quite promising as a ninja. The strongest of your generation with the potential to surpass any of the previous Hokage" Murakumo said still glaring at Naruto. Naruto scratched his neck in embarrassment. "I don't know about that. I just try to help out as best I can" Naruto said but got a snort from Yakumo's father. "False modesty isn't fitting for you. I love my daughter more than anything in this world, as a matter of fact I didn't even want her to be a field ninja but that is the road she has chosen to take. I don't want to hear you trying to be the modest hero, I want to know that my daughter is safe around you" the man said looking into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto was silent for a long moment before answering the man. "Mr. Kurama, I will always have the intention of protecting Yakumo with everything that I am. Even if it takes giving my life, I've promised myself to protect her at all cost. And as for the rumors that you've heard about me, I plan to be far stronger than any kage ever because then I want to protect all those that are close to me" Naruto said in a serious tone as he stared down Murakumo. After a short face off to see who would give first, Murakumo smiled at Naruto's answer. "I'll hold you to that Naruto" Murakumo said to Naruto who let a smirk form after hearing the response. Before the two could exchange any more words, a brown haired blur sped through the room and nearly tackled Naruto while Uroko entered the kitchen right behind the blur.

Yakumo was holding onto her boyfriend tightly. "Naruto, I wasn't expecting you but I'm so glad you're here!" Yakumo squealed. Uroko smiled at the sight while Murakumo tried to subdue his fatherly urge to grab a knife. Naruto pat his girlfriend's head as she removed him from her grasp. "I actually came by to see if you wanted to spend the day together and also invite you and your parents to a small party at my house in two days" Naruto announced. Yakumo looked at her parents quickly and upon getting nods from both of them she announced, "We'll be there" before taking Naruto by the hand and speeding out of the house dragging her boyfriend along with her.

Murakumo sighed as he watched his only child go off with her boyfriend. His fatherly instincts made him want to follow the two and make sure his daughter was being treated well by Naruto, but his wife placing her hand on his ended those thoughts. "Murakumo don't worry, Yakumo will be fine" Uroko said in an effort to comfort her husband. "I know Uroko, it's just that she's my little girl. I don't want her to grow up too fast" he said looking at the ground. Uroko chuckled at her husband. "Listen, Yakumo is of the age where we need to let her follow her own path. I know that you are worried about her and you always will be because you're a good father, but you've got to give her the chance to live her own life. And I'm sure that the more we get to know Naruto, the more comfortable you will be around him" she said looking at her husband while smiling. "Don't you remember my father's reaction to us dating?" Uroko asked making Murakumo let out a small laugh. "Of course I remember. I've never been more afraid in my entire life" Murakumo said with a smile at the memories that flashed through his head. Wrapping his arms around his wife, Murakumo said, "Maybe you're right. Maybe it is time for us to let Yakumo make her own path."

* * *

(Streets of Konoha)

Naruto and Yakumo walked through the streets of the village holding hands. The streets were busy and full of life like most days in Konoha. Both Naruto and Yakumo were smiling as they enjoyed spending time together. Seeing a bench nearby, Naruto led his girlfriend to it and sat down with her following immediately after. Naruto took both of Yakumo's hands into his own and looked into her eyes. "Yakumo, I have to tell you something that you probably aren't gonna like to hear" Naruto said getting a confused look from the girl. "I have to go away for a year to finish my training in the Serpent realm" Naruto said. "Hmm, no" replied Yakumo causing Naruto to look at her strangely. "Uh Yakumo, I have to go" Naruto said trying to emphasize that it wasn't up for debate. Yakumo shook her head at his answer. "I said no so you are going to stay" she said getting a sigh from her boyfriend. "Yakumo, this isn't something that I can blow off. I have to do this if I want to stand any chance at taking on the remaining members of the Shinigami's Blade. I leave next week but I will make sure to write you every day" Naruto promised making Yakumo look away from him.

Yakumo was silent for a long while before responding. "I don't want you to go but I guess that if you really need to do this, then I'll support you because that's the type of girlfriend I am" she said with an eye smile and stars appearing behind her. Naruto sweatdropped at the response. "So you're cool with it?" Naruto asked as Yakumo looked back at him. Yakumo shook her head. "Not really, but rule 13 of " _Mei Terumi's Wonderful Guide to Lasting Relationships_ " says to always support you're significant other so that's what I'll do and I'll get stronger too so that I can walk by you and be there when you need me. Of course, I expect you too make it up to me when you get back and I plan on spending a lot of time together before you leave" she said making Naruto smile. "Definitely" he said with a smile which turned into a fear filled expression as Yakumo grew an evil smile on her face and what seemed to be the Shinigami itself appeared behind her. "And you better write every single day or there will be hell to pay" she said getting a quick nod from Naruto.

After Naruto's quick and silent nod, the Shinigami vanished and Yakumo went back to her regular smile as if nothing had happened. Naruto sweatdropped and sighed. The consequences of dating a crazy person.

* * *

(Two Days Later Namikaze Compound)

Naruto's going away party was in full swing. Yakumo and her family, Sasuke and his family, Konan, Tsunade, Shizune, and Kakashi had all decided to attend. Fugaku Uchiha, Murakumo Kurama, and Kakashi were conversing with Minato. Kushina was speaking with Mikoto Uchiha, Tsunade, Shizune, and getting to know Uroko Kurama as well in the kitchen while the food was being cooked. Itachi and Konan who had started dating just after returning from Kiri were talking about various subjects away from everyone else and Team 11 was talking with each other in the living room.

(Team 11)

"So you'll be gone for a whole year?" asked Sasuke getting a nod from Naruto. "Well you better come back stronger because I don't plan on pulling your dead weight, loser" Sasuke said with a smirk. "At least I don't have a duck's ass for a hair style" Naruto said getting a giggle from Yakumo and making Sasuke's face turn red. "MY HAIR DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A DUCK'S ASS" yelled Sasuke before slowly regaining his composure. "Uh huh, sure it doesn't. You better get stronger too, after all I need my punching bag to give me a challenge every now and then" Naruto said with a smirk causing Sasuke to clench his fists. "Do you wanna take this outside Namikaze?" yelled Sasuke. "Happy too Uchiha" yelled Naruto in response as lightning formed between the two boys. It was interrupted when Yakumo slammed both of her fists down on her respective teammates heads.

Both boys rubbed their heads and looked at Yakumo for an explanation of why. "We are here to spend time with each other, not for the two of you to stroke your own egos. I swear, sometimes I wonder if all boys are this dumb" Yakumo said with her arms crossed. Naruto and Sasuke nodded and looked at each other with tears in their eyes. "Sasuke, I'm so sorry" "No, I'm sorry Naruto" the two said before hugging. Behind the two, a sunset appeared. Yakumo screamed and slammed her fists down on Naruto and Sasuke's heads separating them and destroying the vision of the sunset. "Idiots. My team is nothing but a couple of idiots" Yakumo said shaking her head.

Naruto and Sasuke rubbed their heads once again. "So what are you two gonna do without me?" asked Naruto. Sasuke went to speak and brag about how strong he was going to get but Yakumo spoke first causing his head to fall and begin muttering about not getting the respect an Uchiha deserves. "I am going to work on my fuinjutsu with Kushina sensei and my paper jutsu with Konan sensei. I'm also going to try and get better at using "Graceful Lily" and-" "What is "Graceful Lily?"" interrupted Sasuke. "Oh yeah I never told you guys. I named my scythe. Back in Kiri, Mei told me that I should name my weapon if I want it to be famous" Yakumo explained. "And you chose that name why?" asked Sasuke. Yakumo smiled at the question. "A lily represent death and when I use my scythe, I provide a graceful ending to my victims" Yakumo said still smiling causing both boys to sweatdrop. "There is nothing graceful about cutting someone in half Yakumo" Sasuke said starting to laugh at the irony but was interrupted by Yakumo punching his head once again. "Everything I do is graceful got it?!" she yelled getting a quick nod from both Sasuke and Naruto.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Well I'm going to improve my sharingan abilities, get some more jutsu, work on my taijutsu, maybe work with the crows, practice with my spear, and come up with a better name than "Graceful Lily" for my weapon" Sasuke said with his usual smirk. Yakumo narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha. "Go ahead and give it a name. Let's see what you've got" she said. Sasuke looked at his teammates who were expecting a name right now. "I haven't come up with one yet, but it will be a name feared by all" Sasuke said laughing evilly. Yakumo snorted and Naruto rolled his eyes.

(Itachi and Konan)

Itachi and Konan were having a conversation as best as they could considering neither were very sociable. "So I guess that you'll be training Yakumo for the foreseeable future" Itachi said causing Konan to smile and pull his cheek. "Aw is someone upset that I'm not spending enough time with him" Konan said causing Itachi to blush. "No, I'm not upset" Itachi responded causing Konan to make a mock hurt face. "So you don't want to spend time with me?" asked Konan in her fake hurt tone. "No that's not it. I love spending time with you, I was just asking about Yakumo's training that's all" Itachi said looking away. Konan chuckled at how easy she could get under her boyfriend's skin. "Don't worry Itachi, we'll still spend a lot of time together. And if you're missing teaching Yakumo, you can always come over and give her some pointers in genjutsu or some ninjutsu" the bluenette said trying to comfort the Uchiha. Itachi looked at his girlfriend and smiled. "I know, it's just that I feel kind of sad seeing my little genin growing up so fast. Their accomplishments are only going to grow but sometimes I feel like their moving too fast" Itachi said sighing.

Konan smiled at her boyfriend. It was obvious how much Itachi loved his team and how proud of them he was. "Don't worry Itachi, they're growing up. Besides, they will always call you sensei and they will always need you for guidance" she said taking his hand into hers. Itachi looked into Konan's eyes and smiled. Pulling the woman into a hug, he whispered "Thanks" with a small smile.

(Kushina, Tsunade, Shizune, Mikoto, Uroko)

Uroko was gathered with Kushina, Tsunade, Shizune, and Mikoto in the kitchen and felt quite nervous. First impressions were very important and she definitely wanted to make a good impression on such high standing women. "So Kushina, your house is beautiful" Uroko said. Kushina smiled at the woman. "Thank you, I try to keep it as tidy as possible. Luckily Minato and Naruto aren't big mess makers so that helps. Anyway, it's nice to finally meet you Uroko, you have a magnificent daughter" Kushina said getting a blush and nod from Uroko. "Thank you for that. And thank you for training her. She has grown tremendously under your tutelage" Uroko said getting a nod from Kushina. "That she has but most of it has been on her part not mine. She's one of the most determined girls that I've had the privilege of knowing" Kushina once again complimented causing Uroko's smile to grow.

Hearing the talk about students, Tsunade felt the need to bring up hers. "Well my student Sakura has been getting stronger as well and soon will be the talk of the village" Tsunade said proudly with a nod from Shizune. Kushina nodded at the proclamation. "Yes I've heard that your new apprentice is making great progress in the medical field" Kushina commented. Mikoto smiled at the discussion of promising kunoitchi. It was so difficult to be taken seriously as a ninja if you were a woman but knowing that there were ninja like Yakumo and Sakura gave her joy and hope that kunoitchi would be taken more seriously in the future. "So Mikoto, what has Itachi got planned for Sasuke?" asked Kushina. Mikoto smiled at the question. "Oh you know, this and that. He'll be starting his advanced sharingan training with Itachi soon so they will be pretty busy" Mikoto said getting nods from each of the women. Kushina looked at the stove and saw that the ramen she planned to serve was done and the beef stew that she had prepared was nearly done as well.

(Minato, Murakumo, Kakashi, Fugaku)

Murakumo stood with the men of the party as they conversed about ninja affairs. At the moment, Fugaku was flashing the Uchiha arrogance that they were so known for. "I'm just saying that my son with his sharingan is perhaps the strongest ninja of his generation" Fugaku said with his arms crossed. Minato snorted at the suggestion. "And who told you that? My son is stronger than yours Fugaku" Minato said as lighting formed between the Hokage and the Uchiha head. "Um sensei, can't we just say that they are both strong in their own right?" Kakashi asked. "NO" shouted both Minato and Fugaku at the same time as they continued to glare at one another before breaking it off. Turning to Murakumo, Minato smiled at the man. "So Murakumo, how's it been?" Minato asked. "It's been well Lord Hokage" said Murakumo but was interrupted by Minato putting his hand up. "Just call me Minato" Minato said to which Murakumo nodded.

"You know, from the reports that I've seen and my son's words your daughter is becoming a very powerful kunoitchi" said Minato with a nod in agreement from Fugaku. Murakumo nodded and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Yes although I wish that she would have chosen to go into something like T&I rather than be out in the field" Murakumo said getting a nod from Minato. "I understand, but it's good that you are letting her make own decisions" Minato said. "Well your girl should be safe as long as my son is around. After all, the Uchiha are the strongest in Konoha" Fugaku said with a smirk that had been passed on to his youngest son. Minato's eyebrow twitched at the statement and Kakashi sighed as the Hokage and Uchiha head started another heated but friendly argument about who's son was better.

All of the conversations were put on hold however when Kushina called everyone to the table for their dinner. For the remainder of the party, the attendants told jokes, told stories, and took a break from the outside world.

* * *

(Naruto's Room Hours Later)

Naruto tossed in his bed as he dreamed. In his dream, he watched a little girl with black hair crying on the ground. The girl slowly looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Before Naruto could go and comfort the girl, he was thrown out of his dream and sat up panting, no longer asleep. Rubbing his arms as he felt cold despite a thin sheet of sweat covering his face, he slowed his breathing. "What the hell is happening?" Naruto asked himself before laying back down to sleep.

* * *

(Paradise)

Aiko sat with her mom in the park looking at the different critters. Seeing a bird's nest that held a mother bird and her babies, she watched as the mother flew off to get some food for her children. Aiko looked at her mother who was staring at the sky. "Mom" Aiko said getting her mother's attention. "You'll never leave me right?" asked the black haired girl. Aiko's mom put her hand on her daughter's face as tears were starting to form in the little girl's eyes. "Where is this coming from sweetie?" asked Aiko's mother. Aiko sniffled. "I don't want you to ever leave me, no matter what" Aiko said burying herself in her mother. The mom held her child and rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her. "Aiko, I'm not going anywhere. And I'll always be with you" said the woman causing her daughter to look up at her and smile. "Now, what's say we go and get some ice cream?" asked the mother. "ICE CREAM!" squealed Aiko before getting up and dragging her mother with her with the strength of any man as the two sped to the ice cream stand.

* * *

HAPPY NEW YEARS! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I love the support that you all have given me. Your support gives me motivation and I appreciate it so much. Anyway, the next four chapters are going to detail Naruto's training, Yakumo's training, and Sasuke's training into three separate chapters and Orochimaru searching for Kimimaro as another chapter. I also plan to start introducing the other genin like Sakura along with deepening what's happening secretly in Konoha.


	30. The First Steps of Redemption

PinkiePieParty122894: Glad that you loved the chapter and I hope that you like this one.

Animaman: I'm glad you enjoyed the Dark Naruto and he will be a key part of Naruto gaining a fair amount of new powerful abilities. As for Kakashi, I suppose I just overlooked him but his character becomes larger later and he will get him opportunity with Naruto to either build a relationship like Tsunade is trying to begin, or just leave the boy alone. There will be clarification of the Rookies roles and what is going on with them starting in Yakumo's chapter in which I plan to start developing the major characters from the series/manga such as Sakura, Shizune, Kurenai, etc. Everyone knew Naruto was strong because in the chapter where Naruto returns home, he beats Menma with ease who was among the best in the class. I can't say whether Jiraiya will be alive to meet Naruto or whether Jiraiya will be back from searching for Narumi and Menma to meet him.

YuukiAsuna-Chan: I was excited about your first comment when it started out about Yakumo because I've tried to make her a significant character in this story. I did kind of groan when you said that you hoped it wasn't a parents suddenly realize their assholes fic because that's how it turned out. As for the sword, he can use it easily because it was made specifically for him, but your opinion is your opinion.

* * *

(Otogakure no Sato)

Orochimaru navigated through the very country that he created. His goal, to save a boy who had devoted himself completely to the Snake Sannin. As time had passed after his seal had been removed, he started to regain bits and pieces of memories of his time in Oto. Unfortunately, the memories were far from pleasant and he would live with the shame of the atrocities he committed in that village for the rest of his life. Shaking his head, Orochimaru cleared his thoughts and focused. Now was not the time to wallow in self-pity, it was time for him to right his wrongs in any way that he could.

As Orochimaru approached the Hidden Sound Village which was just an entrance to his underground lab, he noticed something that confused him greatly. Multiple groups of ninja were patrolling around the outside of the village. Jumping up into a tree and hiding his chakra signature, Orochimaru frowned as he watched a group of ninja that appeared to be wearing Sound nin headbands who were obviously looking for something or someone. When Orochimaru left Oto, it should have ceased to function, after all, that was how it was designed. The fact that what seemed to be an organized system of shinobi growing in an unknown and technically nonexistent village was a concern that he would have to bring up when he returned to Konoha.

It took just over ten minutes for the Sound nin to finish their search before they left. After the Sanin was completely sure that the group of ninja had left, he moved into a meditative pose on the tree branch that he sat on. Slowly but surely he began to channel the chakra in his body, feeling the world around him. Dark marks began to spread over his body but he remained calm and kept his eyes closed as he continued his meditation. Taking deep but slow breaths, Orochimaru entered a state that allowed him to sense the chakra of the life around him. With his eyes still closed, Orochimaru felt the life force of the trees around him, he felt the chakra of the bugs that crawled on the ground, he felt the chakra of the wild animals hunting their pray. Increasing his focus, Orochimaru felt around for human chakra signatures. He felt the chakra of the Sound group that he had seen earlier along with two other groups of five ninja per group that seemed to be patrolling as well. Pushing his chakra search even further, he finally found what he was looking for. The chakra signature of his devoted follower, Kimimaro Kaguya. Along with his signature was another weaker signature. Deciding to deal with it when he reached Kimimaro, Orochimaru opened his eyes and began to quickly tree jump towards the boy as fast as possible.

(Kimimaro)

Kimimaro Kaguya sat hungry and cold in a small cave that he found solace in. Along with him was the only person he had left, Tayuya of the Sound Four. Looking in front of him, he just stared at the dead bodies of his former teammates. Jirobo the bulky member, Kidomaru the six armed member, and Sakon and Ukon the double bodied member. The three bodies had been among the dead for two days and the smell of their rotting flesh was unbearable but neither he nor Tayuya would dare take the risk of leaving the cave yet. When it was decided among many of the members of Oto that Orochimaru was not returning to his village after several months of being gone, a man by the name of Zetsuna took control promising to turn Oto into a real ninja village. His first act was to get rid of anything that involved Orochimaru. All of the experiments, all of the test subjects, and most importantly, the Sound Four and Kimimaro were to be disposed of. The man had destroyed all of Orochimaru's work but the Sound Four had managed to get out of the immediate area of Oto and had taken Kimimaro with them. A fact that the white haired boy was immeasurably grateful for. The group had spent many months on the run only to be cut off from every exit out of Oto. The escape attempt finally ended only a few days ago.

The deaths of who were the closest thing he had to friends occurred without any warning. As the Sound Four and Kimimaro were in the process of escaping, a Sound shinobi was able to injure Tayuya by using a jutsu that slammed the girl into a tree breaking her leg. Jirobo, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Ukon stayed behind to buy Kimimaro and Tayuya time to find some sort of safe place. The red headed girl and Kimimaro were able to find a small cave and waited for their teammates, praying that they survived their battle. When the four members arrived, they were covered in blood and in their cursed seal forms. In order to defeat what was determined to be a group of Oto's elite ninja, the members of the Sound Four had to tap into their full power. An hour after the small group of shinobi had arrived at the cave, each of them started to grasp at their heads and began screaming and crying in pain. Five minutes after pure agony on the suffering party's end and confusion and worry on Kimimaro and Tayuya's end, the screams of pain stopped. Jirobo, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Ukon died in pain from a cause that was unknown to either of them.

Next to Kimimaro, Tayuya was taking deep breaths despite the horrid smell of her former teammates' carcasses. Her vision was blurry and her head was throbbing. Her stomach begged for food but she had none to give. Looking next to her, she saw the last remaining ally to her. She knew that he was in more pain than she was, not to mention he was dealing with an unknown illness. Looking at her leg, she stared at the wooden splint that Kimimaro had risked his safety to go out and get the materials for. That was before the Sound nin had started to head in their immediate direction. Looking at the ground, she couldn't help but wonder. 'Is this how my life ends?'. Shaking her head, she stopped thinking about death. Though she couldn't be there for Kimimaro in terms of physical support, she wouldn't leave him alone. So until the white haired boy sitting next to her kicked the bucket, she refused to die. Turning her head to look at her companion, she noticed that he had a small smile on his face. Knowing that her days were numbered, she threw away her impulse to gag at a sentimental act and simply smiled back. Silently, she gave a small wish that Kami would provide some sort of miracle and save Kimimaro. Placing her hand on his, she smiled and began to close her eyes only for them to snap open quickly as she felt a chakra presence that she had not felt in a long time approaching.

(Orochimaru)

The black haired Sannin had followed Kimimaro's signature along with the other unknown but familiar signature to what seemed to be a small cave. Pulling out a kunai in case the unknown chakra signature was hostile, he prepared to rescue Kimimaro. As the man approached the cave, he was met with a stench that sickened even the most seasoned ninja. It was the strong stench of death. Knowing that the dead body or bodies were not Kimimaro's, Orochimaru became suspicious and sped to the entrance of the cave. The sight he came across was one that truly hurt his heart. There was Kimimaro shaking in fear with an injured girl holding his hand while holding a kunai in her other hand. Both looked malnourished and sick. Raising his arms in surrender, he knelt down to their level. Looking at the white haired boy that had dedicated his body to him, he asked "Kimimaro, are you alright?" Orochimaru moved his head as he dodged a weak kunai throw from the red headed girl. "What the fuck do you care you fucking shithead?" the girl asked trying to sound angry but not having the strength to do so. "Master, is that really you?" Kimimaro asked with a desperate tone.

Orochimaru nodded his head and looked at the girl's leg that was put in a wooden splint. It was swelled up and purple. Reaching into a pouch on his waist, the Snake Sanin pulled out four pills and held two for the girl and two for Kimimaro. "These are food pills and blood pills. They should help" he said. Kimimaro took the pills quickly but Tayuya eyed the man suspiciously. "What's the catch shithead? You gonna put another curse mark on us or something?" she asked gritting her teeth. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. He had been shown the curse mark and its effects by his former apprentice, Anko Mitarashi, after a few months of persistence at trying to gain her trust back. He still didn't have it but he was dedicated to righting his wrongs. "I don't know who you are but I can only assume that I placed a curse mark on you. I apologize from the deepest part of my soul. I was not in control of my thoughts or actions when I created the Curse Mark" he said before turning to Kimimaro. "Now, we need to get you to safety Kimimaro" the Sanin said but was surprised when the boy shook his head in refusal. "Not without Tayuya" the boy declared. Raising an eyebrow and looking at the red head, he expected her to gripe about not to leave her behind. Instead, he received a surprise from the crass girl.

"Kimimaro, this is your chance to live on. Don't waste it on me" she said. Kimimaro shook his head and looked at Orochimaru. "Master, I beg of you to bring Tayuya with us" Kimimaro said with a desperate tone. Orochimaru examined the boy that he had originally come for and then examined the girl next to him. The red head's eyes showed that she was resigned to her fate but there was a glimmer of hope that shined in her eyes. Sighing, the Sanin nodded and performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The clone moved to Tayuya and carefully picked her up while Orochimaru himself picked up Kimimaro. Kimimaro looked at Orochimaru and smiled. "Thank you for saving us master. I promise not to fail you again" the boy said respectfully. Orochimaru shook his head. "No Kimimaro, I failed you. I have committed unforgivable acts, many of which I have yet to remember, but it is not only my duty, but my desire to redeem myself for my actions. My first step is getting you and Tayuya here to Konoha" Orochimaru said as he and his clone took off through the trees. Tayuya snorted in response. "That's a load of bullshit. I don't buy your bullshit story one bit shithead" the red head said. "Tayuya, speak properly in the presence of our master" Kimimaro said sternly but Orochimaru shook his head. "No Kimimaro, no more of these titles. I am not your master, you are your own person so I-" Orochimaru came to an immediate halt as did his clone.

Looking around, Orochimaru used the Shadow Clone Jutsu once again without any seals. The newly created shadow clone took Kimimaro quickly and carefully from Orochimaru's arms. "Lord Orochimaru?" asked Kimimaro in confusion. Even Tayuya was interested in why Orochimaru had stopped. Looking at his shadow clones and nodding, Orochimaru and his clones dropped to the ground. Once the small group had landed safely, Orochimaru pulled out a kunai. "We are not alone" the Sannin said. As soon as the words left his mouth, a multitude of Sound ninja stepped out from behind the surrounding trees. A total of twenty one ninja had stepped out in what seemed to be an ambush. All but one of the ninja wore standard ANBU gear with masks covering their faces. The ninja that was not dressed in such an attire wore a black and purple coat, a standard ninja flak jacket, and black pants. He had long brown hair that went past his shoulders. Overall, he could just be seen as any ordinary ninja, but the confident smile and power that radiated from the man said otherwise.

"Well well. It has been quite troublesome searching for the last of Orochimaru's experiments, but today I am given both the experiments and their creator. Kami truly is good" the man said as his fellow Sound nin chuckled. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the man and noticed that Kimimaro and Tayuya were paler than their already unhealthy skin tone. Both were shaking and muttering one word. "Zetsuna". Frowning, Orochimaru examined the man that had stricken fear into his pupil and his pupil's friend. "Who are you and what do you want?" asked the Sanin which caused the man's smile to grow wider. "I am Zetsuna, the leader of Otogakure. As for what I want? I simply want Oto to ascend to the greatness that I know it is capable of. Unfortunately, you and your work stood in the way of such goals, but after I have eradicated you, Oto will be one large step closer to achieving greatness" the man said getting nods from his fellow ninja.

Orochimaru shook his head. "I do not remember much about the formation of Oto, but I do remember that it was not made to be an actual ninja village. As for you "eradicating" me, I am the Snake Sannin of Konoha. Now because I am in a hurry, I will grant you the opportunity to run back home if you leave immediately" the Sannin said blasting his killer intent. The Sound nin shuffled in nervousness and discomfort from Orochimaru's killer intent. Zetsuna merely laughed and produced killer intent twice the intensity of Orochimaru's. "Oh Orochimaru, I know of you reputation and your many accomplishments. Despite that, you will die by my hand today for both the good of Oto and because I truly want to kill you in battle, but I will let my elites get a taste of you first" Zetsuna said. As soon as the new leader of Oto finished speaking, all twenty of the Sound nin rushed the Sannin at once. Turning to his clones, Orochimaru yelled "Stay back" as he raised his kunai. The first ninja to make it to him threw a kunai at the Sannin and sped forward with a second kunai in hand hoping to land a quick followup strike. Orochimaru simply plucked the kunai from the air and slid sideways so that the Sound ninja missed his strike. Before the ninja could react, Orochimaru quickly stabbed the two kunai into both sides of the ninja's neck and pulled them out just as fast.

Jumping backwards after dealing with the first ninja, Orochimaru saw five more ninja trying to attack him head on. Raising his arms, Orochimaru said "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands", launching a large amount of snakes that quickly entangled each of the five ninja, trapping them in their spot. Following up his snakes, Orochimaru pulled out a shuriken and threw it before shouting, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu" multiplying the one shuriken into one hundred. The ninja that weren't tangled in snakes avoided the shurikens easily enough, but the five that were unfortunate enough to be trapped in their reptilian prison were each struck with enough shurikens to end their lives quickly.

With six of their fellow ninja down, the remaining fourteen decided to attack the Sanin all at once. This decision proved to be a costly mistake for the Oto shinobi. First, Orochimaru placed his hands together and shouted "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" blowing the fourteen ninja backwards and onto the ground. Not wasting his chance, Orochimaru unhinged his jaw much like a snake, and hundreds of snakes flowed from the man's mouth. Before the Sound nin could even recover from Orochimaru's wind technique, they were covered by venomous snakes and died quickly. Feeling a little tired, Orochimaru turned when he heard the sound of clapping. Zetsuna stood with a smile, clapping at what the Sannin had just done.

"Not bad, Orochimaru. I'm a little disappointed that it took you so long though. Perhaps your skills are a bit rusty?" Zetsuna mocked. Orochimaru clenched his fists at the jab. "I will give you one last chance to leave. If you choose to leave, I will not pursue you and you will live to see another day. If you choose to face me, I swear that not only will I destroy you, but I will destroy the entire corrupt imitation of a village that I built" the Sannin said as he prepared for another battle. Zetsuna rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. "No Orochimaru, I told you what would happen today. My goal is to help Oto reach it's fullest potential and that cannot happen so long as you and any remnants of you remain" Zetsuna said. Behind Orochimaru, Kimimaro and Tayuya were shivering from fright. "Lord Orochimaru, leave me and run! He's not like normal ninja!" Kimimaro said in an attempt to save his master the best way he knew how. Tayuya remained silent. She was no longer thinking about the pain in her leg as she was too focused on her probable death.

Orochimaru turned his head slightly but his eyes never left Zetsuna. "How about a little faith in me Kimimaro? I said that I would get you safely to Konoha and I meant it, so let me take care of this" the Snake Sanin said with a smirk. Turning back to his opponent, his smirk disappeared. "You truly are a fool to challenge me, the Snake Sannin. I tell you now that your death will not be a merciful one" Orochimaru said as he commanded the hundreds of snakes that were still covering the ninja that they had all but devoured to attack Zetsuna. Zetsuna chuckled at the attack. "A futile effort, I assure you" said Zetsuna as black smoke began to exit the man's mouth. Just as the snakes approached the leader of Oto, Zetsuna blew out a large black fireball with a dark orange center that completely eradicated any existence of life. Orochimaru had to jump away as the fireball kept going. Despite hearing the sounds of trees collapsing, Orochimaru never turned his head.

Outstretching his arms, Zetsuna smiled as a dark flame started to surround his body. "Inferno Style: Fire Fence" shouted Zetsuna causing a massive flame to form a giant circle that surrounded him, Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Tayuya. The giant circular fire fence seemed to be at least a mile wide but the heat from the flames were still easily felt by Orochimaru and his small group. "There is no escape, and there is no help coming" Zetsuna said before performing another series of handsigns. Orochimaru seeing his opportunity bit his thumb and quickly performed the handsigns as he shouted "Summoning Jutsu". When the words were spoken, a large plume of smoke appeared from the ground. Out of the smoke rose a massive snake. Quickly observing its surroundings, the snake looked down at its summoner. "Orochimaru, why have you summoned me?" the snake asked, hissing every word. Orochimaru pointed at Kimimaro and Tayuya. "Manda, I need you to take these two to Konoha" Orochimaru asked causing Kimimaro and Tayuya's eyes to widen and Manda's eyes to narrow. "You have called me for the purpose of delivering children? I should kill you right now" the snake hissed but Orochimaru was not intimidated at the moment.

The Snake Sanin looked at his summon in a way that Manda had not seen since Orochimaru had just become their summoner. "Please Manda, I need to know that they are safe before I can go all out on this boy" Orochimaru asked but hissed the part about his opponent. Manda was silent for a short moment before it gave a short nod. The Orochimaru clones both jumped on Manda's back with Kimimaro and Tayuya in their arms. Just as Manda began to leave, the voice of Zetsuna yelled out "You won't be going anywhere!" Zetsuna had jumped incredibly high and was speeding towards Manda with flames covering his body. In a matter of seconds, Zetsuna reached Manda's head before the summon could react and swung his fist into the giant snake's eye before falling and landing gracefully on the ground.

A second after Zetsuna's punch had landed, a flame scorched Manda's eye and continued to burn. Not long after, the snake's eye was completely gone, burned to nothing by a single attack from the leader of Oto. Manda screamed in an uncharacteristic and unnatural sound for a snake as it lost it's eye. When the process was over, the snake turned and faced the man that had dared to injure him. "I will kill you painfully for that you maggot" growled Manda in a frightening tone. Zetsuna just smirked. "You're welcome to try."

Manda launched it's head in a quick strike at Zetsuna who sped away with flames once again covering his body. As the Oto leader dodged the giant summon, Orochimaru took his chance by throwing a shuriken at Zetsuna and yelling "Shadow Shuriken Jutsu" sending a storm of shurikens at the man. Never letting his smirk fall, he shook his head and put his hands together as shurikens neared him and Manda prepared to strike again. "Inferno Style: Flaming Suicide" shouted Zetsuna. Orochimaru had known thanks to his many years of experience that when Zetsuna had put his hands together, the amount of chakra he exerted was not a good sign. Just as Zetsuna started to yell out the technique, Orochimaru and his clones used the "Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique" letting him and his charges go into the ground to avoid whatever happened next. Manda unfortunately was too consumed with rage at his lost eye to notice something was up until it happened. When Zetsuna announced his jutsu, a colossal explosion of fire burst forth from the man's body, burning Manda's body completely and turning all the trees and any living creatures in the nearby vicinity into nothing but ash. Manda lied on the ground breathing shallow breaths before disappearing into smoke out of the battlefield.

"Come out come out Orochimaru. I know that you're underground" Zetsuna said, smiling as Orochimaru and his clones rose from the ground. Orochimaru looked at Kimimaro who was incredibly frightened. Taking a kunai from his side pouch, the Sannin sliced his hand. "Kimimaro, give me your hand" the Snake Sannin said to which Kimimaro obeyed. Orochimaru wiped his hand on Kimimaro's and looked him in the eye. "I've taught you the handsigns for summoning, correct?" asked Orochimaru getting a nod in response. "If things start to look bad, use the summoning technique with all that you have. You won't be able to summon anything big, but any snake can reverse summon you. Simply tell them that you are with me and that you know who hurt Manda. Got it?" he asked getting a quick nod from Tayuya and a reluctant nod from Kimimaro. Orochimaru turned to face Zetsuna and just as he started to walk towards the man, an unlikely voice gave him a little encouragement. "Shithead, if you lose then I'll kick your ass" said Tayuya causing a small smile to form on the Sannin's face.

Orochimaru stopped about twelve feet away from his opponent. "You have proven to have quite the fire affinity. You are a fierce and powerful ninja" commented Orochimaru causing Zetsuna to smile. "But that does not make you strong" finished the Sannin turning Zetsuna's smile into a frown. "I will give everything to protect the children behind me. If I die then so be it, but I will take you down with me as well. Putting his hands together, Orochimaru pulled his chakra and dark marks began to form along his body. His skin became paler and scalier and the dark marks started to become patterns along his skin. His hair turned light grey and when he opened his eyes, they were in the form of a snake's eyes. He had achieved his sage mode. Not finished, Orochimaru quickly performed a series of handsigns while Zetsuna simply stood by watching in boredom and doing nothing to interrupt his opponent. When Orochimaru finished his handsigns, he shouted "Eight Headed Serpent Jutsu" and started to transform. His body was quickly turned into that of a giant, white, snake like creature and when the transformation was completed, seven other identical snake like serpents branched out of the original's body. Zetsuna raised an eyebrow, Tayuya looked in fear, but Kimimaro smiled happily. This was his master's strongest technique.

Four of the serpent heads attacked the ground while the other four kept an eye above the ground in case Zetsuna tried to jump up to avoid his inevitable demise. Meanwhile, Zetsuna was shaking his head as the serpent heads neared him. "A pitiful effort" was all the Oto leader said before engulfing himself in flames. "Inferno Style: Fire Wheel" Zetsuna shouted before starting a fast cartwheel that turned him into a literal wheel of flames. He sped past the heads that tried to attack him and made contact with the serpent's belly which caused a fair amount of pain if the screech from the creature that Orochimaru had become was any sign. Still rolling, Zetsuna used his chakra to stay attached to the surface of the serpent and quickly spin along the body of this new Orochimaru. When Zetsuna reached the back of the serpent, he jumped up and yelled out "Inferno Cauterizer" as he launched eight quick spear like flames that made impact with each of the serpents' heads. Orochimaru flew out of the mouth of the original head and landed on the ground just in time to see the heads of his most powerful move being burned off of their body.

"Trying to get away is a pointless effort, don't you see?" said the voice of Zetsuna from behind Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin's eyes widened and he immediately jumped away quickly before facing his opponent who now had his arms crossed with an impatient look on his face. "Kimimaro, summon the snake and get out of here" Orochimaru said knowing that it would be nearly impossible to beat someone who had handled him so easily. "No, we won't leave you!" shouted Kimimaro in response. Orochimaru cursed the fact that the boy was so devoted to him. "Kimimaro, I told you to go so go. NOW!" the Sannin finished with a shout. "Shut up shithead and beat this horse fucker, then we'll leave" said Tayuya in defiance. Clenching his fists, Orochimaru tried to think of any type of scenario that he had studied that related to the one he was in now. Unfortunately, Zetsuna was done waiting. Putting his hands together, he shouted "Inferno Fireball" launching a large black and red flaming ball of fire at the group. Immediately stopping with the analytics of the situation he was in, Orochimaru acted on impulse to save Kimimaro and Tayuya. Putting his hands together, he shouted "Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon" and a massive wall rose from the ground to protect Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Orochimaru from the incoming attack.

Zetsuna chuckled at Orochimaru's last attempt to not lose. He watched as his inferno ball flew into the wall and kept going. Nothing was a match for his fire. As he walked forwards, he could still feel the chakra signatures of Tayuya, Kimimaro, Orochimaru, and one of his clones hiding behind a small remaining piece of the wall. Just as he prepared to approach the small and weak group, something rose out of the ground behind him and before he could react, bit down on his neck. Once he turned around, he saw Orochimaru smirking at him with his hands in a particular hand sign. "You are powerful, but like I said earlier, that doesn't make you strong." Before Zetsuna could reply, a sharp, unbearable pain surged from his neck and through his body. He fell to the ground, unable to stay standing and grabbed at his head. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" yelled Zetsuna in pain. Orochimaru walked to Zetsuna and kneeled to his level. "When I first created Otogakure no Sato, I would have called it a gift that I was giving you. Now, it is simply a mark of the curse I have given you. I told you that I would kill you, and someday I will return to get rid of Oto as well" said the Snake Sannin before getting up and taking off with his clones in tow leaving Zetsuna to scream in agony until he finally received the mercy of death.

* * *

(Konoha Gates)

The two gate guards, Kotetsu and Izumo, stood at their post completely bored. It was a slow day today, and they doubted that anything was going to change that. So imagine their surprise when a poof of smoke went off in front of them and faded to reveal an exhausted Orochimaru with two clones holding a white haired boy and a red headed girl. "Hey cocksucker, get us some help damn it!" shouted the red head at the guards. Orochimaru lifted his head as he panted trying to catch his breath. "Medics, now" the Sannin said before collapsing on the ground.

(Konoha Hospital 22 Hours Later)

Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes and immediately felt the soreness and repercussions of his earlier battle. Silently, he thanked Kami that he had just enough chakra after his fight with Zetsuna to reverse summon him, Kimimaro, and Tayuya back to Konoha. As the images of Kimimaro and Tayuya came into his mind, Orochimaru immediately sat up and was about to get out of bed when a familiar voice stopped him. "I know that you aren't trying to leave the hospital without a doctor's permission, right Orochimaru?" said the voice in a tone that turned the Snake Sannin's skin whiter that normal. Looking up, he was met with the sight of his teammate Tsunade walking into the room to check on him. "No, of course not. I just had to go to the restroom, that's all" Orochimaru said quickly making Tsunade raise an eyebrow. "Well I hope we can keep these bathroom breaks to a minimum. I would hate to have to put a catheter in you" she said with an evil smile that sent a chill down Orochimaru's spine.

Shaking his head and realizing he was getting off point, he asked about Kimimaro and Tayuya. Tsunade frowned at the question and took a deep breath. "I'll start with the girl. She had a severe broken leg that we had to perform surgery on. We had to do surgery on the cartilage that had been unhealed and the cartilage that was healed properly. Her leg surgery ended just about a half hour ago and we were able to fix most of the damage. We'll try to put her leg in a cast tomorrow and then it will be up to her body to heal the rest. Overall, her leg should be fine. Now for her next health problem, I had to bring Minato and Anko in for their expertise since you were out. That curse seal that you infected her and the boy with is fatal if it is relied upon too heavily or too often. Both the girl and the boy told me that they had a few friends that each died from what seemed to be head pain. I can only assume that they died from overuse of their curse seal" Tsunade said causing Orochimaru to look down in shame. "However, thanks to the abilities of our Hokage and the first hand experience of your former apprentice, we were able to successfully remove her curse seal. All that's left now is getting her body properly nourished and back into regular shape again" she said.

Orochimaru looked up at Tsunade with a smile which quickly turned into a concerned frown. "And Kimimaro?" the Sannin asked. Tsunade sighed. "We gave him the same treatment for nourishing his body which is still going on. He'll be in the hospital for at least a week. There is one thing that I found that I expect you to get on your knees and thank me for. He told me that he was to be your vessel but couldn't be anymore because of an unknown illness that he had contracted. After getting him to describe the symptoms, I, the world's greatest medic, was able to find a medical case similar to this one and come up with a treatment that will one day get rid of what he has" she said proudly. Orochimaru's eyes almost popped out of his skull at the announcement. "H-How? Kabuto and I searched everywhere for a cure to his illness and couldn't find anything" he said, praying that this wasn't a dream. "Well Orochimaru, apparently grandpa Hashirama dealt with a similar case helping out a family member of grandma Mito. Long story short, he recorded the case in his personal journal which I took a quick peek in, so the kid should be fine once we get his body healthy again" she said.

Tsunade waited for any type of thank you to leave her teammate's mouth, but the man just sat silent. Right as she was about to turn and leave, Orochimaru got out of his bed pulling his IV and any other cords attached out and bowed to the woman. "Thank you Tsunade. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you" the Sannin repeated in between sobs of joy. Tsunade examined her teammate in shock. She had actually been joking with Orochimaru but did expect a respectful thank you. She didn't expect him to bow to her and cry. Orochimaru never begged, and he sure as hell never cried. Doing the only thing she could think of, she patted his head and smiled. Perhaps her teammate really had changed.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone hope that you liked the chapter. I decided to put Orochimaru's chapter ahead of Naruto, Yakumo, and Sasuke's to bring in Kimimaro and Tayuya in and hopefully transition them smoothly into the story. In Yakumo and Sasuke's chapters (more so Yakumo) I will start to bring in the other Konoha teams like Teams 8. 9. and 10 along with Sakura and Shizune. Anyway, hope that you liked the chapter and that you are liking the story. Make sure to REVIEW! See you soon.


	31. New Friends and New Bonds

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm happy that I've continued to impress and I hope it continues to impress you.

1995hzq: Glad that you liked it. At first I was going to try and make Orochimaru feel indifferent but secretly care but I decided to go down a path that showed that he was still human.

Animaman: I'm happy that you liked Orochimaru's path. As for the flashback, when it's Naruto's chapter right before he returns home, he will have to face some of his demons and you'll get to see in depth how his childhood was as well as more insight to Menma and Narumi. When Jiraiya finds the twins, things will come out that will kind of change Jiraiya's beliefs and open his eyes but I can't say whether or not Naruto will ever find out that Jiraiya is sorry for what he's done. As for Sasuke's pairing, I can't tell you who it is but I will go ahead and confirm that it is not Sakura. I think that who I have him paired with is kind of unexpected and I haven't found a lot of this pairing. It may be me not being able to search well enough but I think that a little bit of surprise will go through your mind when you find out who it is.

Faded-Dynasty: I'm glad that you've noticed. I think part of it has to do with me getting the feel of the story better. I hope that you like the story going forward,

* * *

(Streets of Konoha)

Yakumo walked through the streets of the village feeling fairly sore after her morning practice with Kushina sensei and Konan sensei. She smiled knowing that the hard training was only going to make her that much stronger. The thought of training slowly turned Yakumo's smile into a frown as she thought about her boyfriend and his training trip. He had only been gone for about two weeks and she was already missing him. Shaking her head to get rid of the lonely thoughts, she realized that she had unintentionally and unconsciously walked into an unknown training ground. The area was a small field surrounded by a fair amount of trees. Preparing to turn around, Yakumo stopped when she heard sniffles and quiet sobs nearby. Slowly walking in the direction of the sound, she moved through the trees so as to not alert whoever was crying to her presence. When she finally came across the individual that was crying, Yakumo was surprised to see the girl known as Hinata Hyuga. Narrowing her eyes at the girl that had taken her former teacher's eye away from her, Yakumo continued to look at the girl, searching for the cause of her sadness. She silently gasped when she saw a large purple mark on the right side of the Hyuga's face.

Biting her lip, Yakumo made the decision to confront the crying girl and stepped out of the forest. "Are you okay?" Yakumo asked softly but still causing Hinata to jump in fright. Hinata's eyes widened at the girl who stood in front of her. She had not spent much time if any getting to know Yakumo, but she remembered how vicious the brunette was in their match in the preliminary round of the Chunin Exams. Yakumo noticed the fear in Hinata's eyes and quickly put her hands up to signal that she came in peace. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just heard you crying and wanted to see if you were okay" Yakumo said calmly as she slowly approached the Hyuga. Hinata sniffled before wiping her eyes and nodded. "May I sit down?" asked Yakumo to which Hinata nodded again. Yakumo smiled and sat down next to the dark blue haired girl. "I take it that it hasn't been your day?" Yakumo asked causing Hinata to look at the ground and shake her head in sadness.

"I know that we barely know each other, but sometimes it helps to just talk about whatever's going on" Yakumo said in a slightly concerned tone. Hinata shook her head and wiped her eyes some more. "It's nothing worth concerning yourself over. I just want to be a strong kunoitchi and make my family proud, but I can't stop messing up. No matter how hard I try, I always find a way to fail" Hinata said staring at the ground. Yakumo looked at the Hyuga with a frown. It seemed like yesterday that her sole intention was to humiliate Hinata by wiping the floor with her in battle. Hinata had gained the attention and affection of her first teacher and a part of her resented the genin and her jounin sensei for it. Giving a sigh and looking at the pitiful state that Hinata was in, Yakumo realized that it was not because Hinata seemed to have more potential. It was that Hinata needed more guidance than she did. Looking forward, Yakumo took a deep breath. "I used to hate you, you know" Yakumo said causing Hinata to look up at Yakumo. "I don't know if you knew this, but Kurenai was my first sensei when I was a child. I tried to prove myself in genjutsu as best as I could but it wasn't enough to keep her from leaving me. Years later when I saw the way that she interacted with you, I got jealous, I got angry, and I got perplexed trying to figure out what you had that I didn't. Those thoughts could have started me down a dark path, but I had friends and people who cared about me to show me that I didn't need Kurenai's approval" Yakumo said.

A smile started to grow on Yakumo's face. "I found out what it meant to be a true kunoitchi with the help of my friends" Yakumo said turning to look at Hinata directly in her eyes. "All it takes is for one person to believe in you. That's all you need to discover what type of ninja you will be. Whenever you're in doubt, whenever you think that you can't go on, just think about that person who believes in you and show them that their belief is not misplaced" Yakumo said before her smile dropped a little. "I am sorry for the way I treated you in our battle during the Chunin Exams. I was still a little bit angry and I took it out on you. For that, I am sorry" Yakumo said looking down and shocking Hinata. Hinata quickly shook her head. "It's okay, it was a battle after all. I'm sorry that I stole your teacher away from you" Hinata said poking her fingers nervously. Yakumo smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Now let's get to work on cheering you up. First stop, lunch!" Yakumo stated as she dragged Hinata by the hand with her.

(Yakiniku Q)

Hinata watched a little taken back as Yakumo ate plate after plate of meat that she cooked. Hinata was full after cooking her first plate, but Yakumo was on her fifth plate. Quickly finishing her fifth bowl, Yakumo looked up at Hinata. "So, what have your team and the rest of our class been up to?" Yakumo asked while tilting her head. The brunette had never been close with any of her fellow academy students, but she was curious as to how their careers as ninja were going. Hinata took a moment to process the question after witnessing Yakumo eat more food in one sitting than anyone whose last name was not Akamichi. "Um, they are good. Most of us are preparing for the upcoming chunin exams seeing as how you and your team are the only genin who made chunin last time" Hinata said causing Yakumo to blush and rub her arm. "Yeah, I guess we did rock those exams didn't we?" she said feeling some pride swell within her.

"If you ask me, the whole thing was just troublesome" said a nearby voice. Turning their heads, Yakumo and Hinata saw the figures of Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi, Ino Yamanaka, and Asuma Sarutobi standing in front of their table. Shikamaru had a bored look on his face, Choji looked hungry, Ino had her hands on her hips and her eyes slightly narrowed at Hinata, and Asuma stood with a smile. "Hello, we were wondering if we could share this table with you since all of the others are full" Asuma politely requested which gained a nod from Yakumo and Hinata. The newcomers, Team 10, took their seats graciously. "So you are Yakumo Kurama. I've heard some great things about you from Itachi. I'm Asuma Sarutobi" Asuma said trying to introduce himself to the now well renowned genjutsu prodigy. Yakumo smiled and nodded. "I've had some great teachers and teammates to help me get to where I am" Yakumo responded with a smile. Asuma nodded at the statement. "Still though, when I watched you and your team slash through the competition during the Chunin Exams and hearing about all of your team's other deeds has caused me to alter my team's training regiment" the jounin admitted before putting his cigarette out. Shikamaru snorted. "Because of your team, being a shinobi has become even more troublesome" Shikamaru said causing Yakumo and Hinata to giggle, Asuma to smirk, Ino to roll her eyes, and Choji to continue looking for the waitress.

Choji's search for the waitress didn't last long as she soon made herself known, took everyone's orders, and later brought them the food to cook. At first, it was just a meal between comrades as stories and jokes were told but Yakumo and Choji quickly changed that. The two became engaged in who could eat the fastest which Choji won but just barely. As Choji patted his stomach, he looked at Yakumo, the only girl who wasn't an Akamichi to nearly beat him in an eating contest. Looking at the brown haired kunoitchi, Choji reached across the table and grabbed Yakumo's hand with hearts in his eyes. "Yakumo, you are the first girl I have met outside of my family to provide competition in terms of eating. You are truly a magnificent sight and for that I ask for you to be my bride" Choji said causing everyone at the table to grow large sweatdrops on their heads. Yakumo gave a small laugh and shook her head. "Sorry Choji but I've gotta say no" she said causing the hearts within Choji's eyes to shatter. Looking back up, Choji said "Why?" Yakumo took her hand back from the big boned genin. "Because I'm already taken, sorry" Yakumo said. Choji looked heartbroken before shaking his head and looking at the kunoitchi with determination. "Then I shall challenge whoever has tried to claim you in order to prove my worth and I will defeat him in battle" Choji said puffing out his chest which caused the table to move a little.

Yakumo blinked a few times before she started to laugh loud and hard. "Trust me Choji, it would be best for your health if you avoid challenging Naruto" Yakumo said with a smile. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at what Yakumo said. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?" asked the Nara which got a nod from Yakumo. "I barely remember him from the academy. I know that he skipped a year and came back to graduate, but we never really talked" Shikamaru said. Choji looked down at what Shikamaru said because he knew that he had also never made an attempt to make friends with Naruto. Hinata looked at her plate as she thought about her history with Naruto. Before he had left the academy for a year, she was infatuated with the boy. She saw how he was treated and neglected by his family much like her yet he didn't cry. He kept moving forward and it encouraged her to move along as well.

Seeing the mood start to drop, Asuma changed the subject. "So Yakumo, would you and your team be interested in a joint training session with mine?" Asuma asked. Yakumo looked up for a moment before nodding. "I think that would be fun. Of course I would have to ask Kushina sensei, Konan sensei, Itachi sensei, and Sasuke, but it should be fine" Yakumo answered getting a confused look from Asuma. "What about Naruto?" the jounin asked. Yakumo shook her head. "He's kind of busy for the foreseeable future" Yakumo said giving a nervous laugh. Asuma was about to comment but Ino spoke before he could. "Well as long as I get to see my Sasuke, it doesn't matter. I haven't seen him in so long, he's probably missed me so much" Ino said with hearts in her eyes. Yakumo shook her head at Ino's display. It was so hard to be taken seriously as a kunoitchi, and fangirls impeded the progress of kunoitchi everywhere. "Sure. Well, we should get going. I'll make sure to mention the joint training session as well" said Yakumo as she left money on the table and left with Hinata quickly.

(Streets of Konoha)

Yakumo and Hinata walked through the streets without a word. The sun was close to setting and the two just continued to walk to the Hyuga residence since it was about time for Hinata to get home. "So things don't seem to have changed much from what I remember about those three" Yakumo said interrupting the silence. Hinata gave a subtle nod. "In terms of personality, they are still pretty close to the same as when we were in the academy. But they are a really strong team. My team has had joint practice sessions and spars with them and we have yet to win" Hinata said with a sigh. "Perhaps I'm doing something wrong. Sometimes I just think that I'm not cut out to be a ninja" Hinata said dejectedly. Looking up, Hinata realized that they were no longer in the streets but in front of a lake. Before she could make another comment, Yakumo started to laugh loudly beside her. Yakumo stopped walking causing Hinata to stop as well. "You know Hinata, it's uncanny how similar you and I were. Just like I told you earlier, I didn't know if I could be a ninja, but with someone standing behind you and a cause to fight for, you can become a great ninja. I don't know where you got the idea about being inferior but I can say that it's up to you to prove them wrong. And trust me when I say this, the feeling of rubbing your achievements in the faces of your doubters is one of the best you could ever feel" Yakumo said looking at the setting sun.

Hinata looked at the girl standing next to her. She beamed strength and confidence which was so different from back at the academy. Thinking about the words Yakumo spoke, Hinata looked at the brunette with a confused look. "Who are you trying to prove yourself to?" Hinata asked which got a chuckle from Yakumo. Turning her head to look at the Hyuga, Yakumo smiled. "At first, I wanted to prove Kurenai wrong. I wanted to prove that I could make it past my deficiencies and become a great ninja but I never truly had the resolve I needed to achieve my goal. When I met Naruto and became friends with Sasuke, I knew that I would attain my goal no matter what because I had them backing me up. Now, my goal isn't to prove Kurenai wrong because I don't need to. I've reached a level of power she could only dream of. No, instead of focusing on something so petty as trying to prove myself to someone who rejected me, I have dedicated myself to becoming the greatest genjutsu master of all time" Yakumo said with a smile. "And I know that it's a goal that I can achieve because I have people who believe that I can achieve it and I believe in myself. So Hinata, if you feel inferior, strengthen your resolve, believe in what you can do, and find people that care about you and want to help you achieve your dreams. One of them is standing right over there" Yakumo said pointing at a nearby tree.

Kurenai Yuhi stepped out from behind the tree after being revealed by her former pupil. Inside, she felt a deep sadness. Ever since she had abandoned Yakumo, she had been plagued with 'what ifs' that she still hadn't put to rest. But to hear that her departure had affected Yakumo in such a way made Kurenai feel truly ashamed. As she had listened to what Yakumo had said from behind the tree, it further reinforced the fact that she didn't have to abandon Yakumo the way that she did, but the girl's words to Hinata about how to become strong made her feel a curious sense of pride. So as the red eyed genjutsu mistress stepped out from the tree, she couldn't help but allow a small amount of water to form in her eyes as she looked at Hinata. The Hyuga was her second chance, her shot at redemption, and practically her daughter. Taking a breath, Kurenai walked to Yakumo and Hinata. When she arrived in front of the two, Kurenai gave a small smile. "She's right you know" Kurenai said making Hinata tilt her head. "Hinata, you have people who believe in you. I believe in you, Kiba and Akamaru believe in you, and Shino believes in you. All that's left is for you to believe in yourself" Kurenai said putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder before pulling her into a motherly hug. "I see so much potential in you Hinata, and I can't wait until you realize the potential you have. I believe in you Hinata" Kurenai said as a few tears started to drop while her waist wraps were starting to get wet from her student's tears.

Yakumo watched the scene with a small smile but deep down, a flurry of emotions such as envy and anger stormed around. "Kill them" said the dark voice of Ido which caused Yakumo to flinch. The brown haired chunin shook her head and turned to leave. "Well, I'll leave you to it. See you around Hinata" Yakumo said with a wave. "Wait" called out Kurenai causing Yakumo to stop in her tracks. "I know it doesn't mean much now, but I am sorry for how I departed from you" Kurenai said with remorse. Yakumo clenched her fists. "Let's call it what it is Kurenai, you abandoned me because you were like all the others. You could never see the real me, just my flaws and imperfections. I can't forgive you Kurenai, not yet and maybe not ever, but that's the way things go. Actions have consequences and sometimes a simple "I'm sorry" doesn't help. I do not wish any harm on you so do not worry about me taking some form of revenge. If you truly want to make it up to me however, make Hinata strong. She's gonna be pretty strong one day, I can tell" Yakumo said before taking off once again.

The words that Yakumo said were painful for Kurenai to hear, but they were words that she deserved and that needed to be heard. While it did hurt her that she would never be able to have a relationship with Yakumo ever again, she found solace in the girl next to her. She wouldn't abandon Hinata like she did Yakumo. She would help Hinata however she could.

(Yakumo's Room Six Hours Later)

Yakumo slept soundly with a twitch every few moments. When she had returned home hours earlier, she gave a quick "Good night" to her parents and went straight to her room. The moment that she shut and locked the door, Yakumo fell to her knees and started to softly sob. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how much had happened, she was still so angry and hurt by Kurenai's betrayal. It cut deeper than the pain of any enemy kunai and she didn't know why. Her life was so much better because Kurenai was not a part of it but seeing the red eyed woman share such a bond with Hinata that she herself wanted years ago clenched her heart. As the tears fell, all Yakumo could think of was her boyfriend and what he would say. Something about moving on and living your life. But Naruto didn't know that over their time together, Yakumo could see the true feelings that swarmed Naruto. He told everyone that he was over his past but all he really was doing was bottling it up and denying it, much like her. The thought made her chuckle. She and Naruto really were two of a pair.

Reaching up and wiping her puffy eyes, Yakumo stood up. She would no longer hold anything against Hinata, but Kurenai was not someone who she could forgive. She just didn't have the strength, patience, or understanding. Shaking her head, Yakumo got into bed without even changing into her regular sleep attire and quickly fell asleep. Not long after, the brunette was pulled into a dark, familiar, area of her subconscious that she tried to avoid as much as possible.

(Within Yakumo's Mind)

Yakumo's eyes flew open as she looked around and took notice of her surroundings. It took a short moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and when they did, she was met with the sight of her personal demon Ido staring directly at her with a satanic smile. "Well well, it's been some time since you have come to visit me personally. I suppose that I should thank you for the amusement that you gave me in Kiri. There is nothing more delicious than the taste of pure human horror. Anyways, I suppose you are curious as to why you are here?" asked Ido. Yakumo glared at the demon and gave no answer which caused the demon to chuckle. "Well Yakumo, I'm here to give you the way to get rid of the pain that you are feeling" Ido said making Yakumo's eyes widen slightly. Ido smiled as it saw that Yakumo was intrigued by what she was offering so far. "It's quite simple Yakumo. Release me. A part of me will exit your body just for tonight and pay retribution to the woman who caused you such pain. I will leave no evidence and the part of my presence will return after the deed is done. With her gone, you will be able to move on with your life and finally be truly happy" Ido said as it outstretched it's arm.

Yakumo looked at the arm for a long moment before bursting out in laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA. You really think that I would allow you anything? I thought that I made this clear to you already. In certain times I will provide you victims, but you will never take control of my body ever again. As for my pain, everyone deals with some sort of burden in life. I could send you after Kurenai but I won't because I don't want her dead. I don't care about her anymore and I will just move on with my life from now on" Yakumo said as she turned around to leave.

Ido scowled a little at Yakumo's declaration, but a smirk soon after. "Oh Yakumo, still so naive. Ignoring your inner darkness can have serious effects which I'm sure that your boyfriend can attest to" Ido said causing Yakumo to stop in her tracks and slowly turn around. "I must say that I haven't seen so much darkness and inner conflict within an individual in a long time. I can't wait to see what happens when it finally overcomes him" Ido said while laughing insanely. Before Yakumo could comment, she was thrown out of her subconscious.

(Yakumo's Room)

Yakumo sat up panting and sweating. Looking around rapidly, she took deep slow breaths to calm herself down. Ido was lying, it had to be. Sure Naruto was secretly conflicted within, but it wasn't like it was having any serious effects on him. Was it? Yakumo sighed and placed a hand to her rapidly beating heart which was starting to slow down. Looking out the window, she noticed that it was a full moon and the light from the moon seemed to shine directly on her. Yakumo smiled and whispered "I believe in you Naruto" before going back to this time an uninterrupted sleep.

(Team 11 Training Ground Two Days Later)

Yakumo was swinging her scythe and Sasuke was practicing his jabs for his spear when Itachi, Kushina, Konan, Team 10 and surprisingly Teams 8 and 9 arrived. "Yakumo, Sasuke, come on over" said Kushina. Both chunin sealed their weapons back into their usual spots on their arms and met up with the large group that was now gathered at their training ground. "Okay Yakumo and Sasuke, you should remember Team 10 and Team 8 but I'm not sure if you got to meet Team 9" Kushina said. Yakumo and Sasuke nodded at the implied question as they remembered the team from the chunin exams. Sasuke noticed that the Hyuga of the team was giving him a small glare so Sasuke just smirked as he still remembered the day he outclassed the Hyuga prodigy in taijutsu. "Hello Team 11, I am Might Guy and this is Rock Lee, Tenten, and Neji Hyuga. I hope that we can all develop a youthful friendship" Might said as both he and Lee gave a blinding smile while giving a thumbs up. Yakumo took in everyone and noticed Hinata among the group. Giving Hinata a smile and a small wave, she was happy when it was returned in kind from the purple haired girl.

Sasuke however was dealing with the more pressing issue of having a kunai at the ready for when Ino pounced. Giving a sigh, Sasuke being the polite member of Team 11 said "Are we gonna train now or what? I doubt they could handle us anyway." This comment served to tick off everyone except Lee and Ino. Lee simply smiled at the challenge while Ino sighed thinking about how powerful her future husband is. Yakumo rolled her eyes at Sasuke's bluntness and smacked him on the head. "Shut up duck butt and be polite" Yakumo said which caused the genin and all of the jounin except for Itachi to start snickering and chuckling. Itachi looked at everyone chuckling and raised an eyebrow. "I don't get it. What does duck butt mean. I feel like I'm missing something" said Itachi as he looked to his blue haired girlfriend for some sort of explanation. Konan simply chuckled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It's nothing sweetie, just let it go" she said. After everyone was finished with the joke, each of the genin and chunin prepared for a three team on one team spar. Just as it was about to start, a loud voice shouted "HOLD IT!"

Tsunade, Shizune, Ton Ton, and Sakura walked into the training ground. Tsunade stopped in front of the jounin and crossed her arms. "I heard about your little training session. My apprentice will be joining in as well. It's about time for everyone to shut up about the "Legendary Kage Killers" and start talking about my new apprentice" she said getting raised eyebrows from everyone in the area. Kushina sighed at the mention of the nickname that Team 11 had earned themselves. She had just recently found out about the title given to them the day before so the two chunin probably didn't get the significance of their tiles now, especially with their new Bingo Book entries. Looking at Yakumo and Sasuke, Kushina shook her head and said "I'll tell you later".

Sakura walked over and stood next to Ino in her battle stance. Ino looked at Sakura with narrowed eyes. "So forehead, you gonna try and steal Sasuke away from me today? If so, I can already tell you that it won't work" Ino said. Sakura sighed and kept her focus on the Team 11 members. "Take him if you want him Ino, I'm focused on other things" Sakura responded. In front of the two, Shikamaru muttered "Troublesome" since he already knew that he and Choji would never hear the end of how Sakura seemed like she was disrespecting Ino from the blonde. Shaking his head, Shikamaru announced his plan. "Choji, I want you to attack Yakumo and keep her busy until I'm able to trap her in my Shadow Imitation Jutsu. When I do that, Ino it's up to you to knock her out. After that we can move on to Sasuke and help out since I'm sure that Neji will want a rematch with Sasuke. This will give us the opportunity to take Sasuke by surprise and give us the best chance at beating them. All we have to do is take them one by one, got it?" Shikamaru asked which got nods from Choji and Ino. Shikamaru looked over his shoulder at Sakura. "Sorry to say this Sakura but you will have to figure things out by yourself" Shikamaru finished, missing the determined look on the pink haired kunoitchi's face.

Tenten, Lee, and Neji examined their opponents. "How should we do this guys?" asked Tenten. Lee got a concentrated look on his face but a scowl appeared on Neji's. "Do what you want, I will fight the Uchiha" growled out Neji. Lee smiled as he misunderstood Neji's thirst for payback as excitement to fight such a youthful opponent. "Then I shall go with you to join in your youthful battle" Lee said with a smile. Tenten examined the Uchiha and then her view moved to the brown haired girl of Team 11. "I'll take Yakumo and help out against Sasuke afterwards" Tenten said as she thought about the best way to go about this battle. Neji clenched his jaw. "Don't bother because the Uchiha will have already been dealt with" the Hyuga said.

Kiba stood with Akamaru beside him who had started to grow lately. Shino and Hinata stood beside the two as Team 8 thought of a plan. "I've got it" Kiba said clapping his hands. "Me and Akamaru will go after Sasuke and you two can go after Yakumo" Kiba said getting a confused look from Hinata and a raised eyebrow from Shino. "I understand myself being sent after Yakumo since it would be counterproductive to try and fight Sasuke, but what is your reasoning for Hinata?" Shino asked. Kiba snorted and raised his head. "Listen Hinata, I just think that the fight with Yakumo will be a lot easier. Sasuke might be a challenge but Yakumo is just a kunoitchi so it should be easy pickings" Kiba said. Because he was facing forward, the Inuzaka couldn't see Shino with a hand on his face, Akamaru shaking his head, or Hinata's face which was red from anger instead of embarrassment for once.

Asuma blew a puff of smoke. "How well do you think that they'll do?" asked Asuma to Kurenai, Guy, and Tsunade. "It will be a youthful battle, but I believe that my team will prevail through the power of youth!", "My apprentice is gonna kick ass, after all, I trained her", "I suppose we will see" were the responses that Asuma received. The man chuckled at the different opinions and let out a puff of smoke. He already knew what the result would be. He just hoped it opened the eyes of their teams.

Once everyone was situated, Kushina shouted "BEGIN". Out of everyone there, it was surprisingly Sakura who was the first to act. Raising her fist and slamming it onto the ground, the pink haired genin sent a large fissure towards Sasuke and Yakumo, shocking everyone except for Tsunade, Shizune, and Ton Ton. As the fissure approached, Yakumo and Sasuke looked at each other quickly before nodding and jumping away from each other. The rest of the teams took this as their cue to attack.

(Yakumo)

When Yakumo landed, she immediately unsealed her scythe and leaned on it while she waited for the opposition to make their move. It didn't take long for her to find herself surrounded by Team 8, Tenten, Shino, and Hinata. Looking at her opponents, Yakumo giggled creepily. "So I take it you guys thought I was the weakest of the bunch and maybe you could take advantage of that. Well, let's go fresh meat" Yakumo taunted and was a little surprised when Hinata attacked first. Seeing that Hinata had activated her byakugan, Yakumo smiled at the futile effort. One by one, she easily dodged each of Hinata's palm strikes through the use of her flexibility alone. Bending back and forth, moving left and right, Yakumo started to become entertained. It was as if she was in a dance with the Hyuga. But the dance came to an end when she bent backwards and saw a swarm of bugs flying right at her.

Yakumo jumped backwards and started to go after Shino. Just as she started to get near him, another swarm of bugs flew out of Shino's jacket at her. As Yakumo went to jump backwards again, she tripped and the multitude of bugs swarmed over her body. Yakumo's body however quickly revealed itself to be a multitude of sheets of paper, each with a seal on it. Shino looked at what his bugs were attached to and before he could order them off, a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. "Oh, so close Shino" Yakumo said before the pieces of paper exploded in small bursts of flames, just enough to kill all of Shino's bugs. "Never throw out everything you've got at the beginning of a battle" Yakumo said sweetly before knocking him out with a hit to the neck.

After Yakumo knocked out Shino, she tried to readjust herself in battle but found herself unable to move. "Not bad Shikamaru. Way to take advantage of the situation, but not enough I'm afraid" Yakumo said with a smirk as her real body was thrown out of a paper shell of one releasing her from the hold of Shikamaru's shadow technique. Taking her chance, she dashed towards Shikamaru and sent him flying with a punch to the face before anyone could react. Once she landed the punch, Yakumo moved out of the way just in time to avoid a punch from Choji. Jumping backwards, she got into a position where each of her opponents were in front of her. She watched as Choji, Hinata, and Ino prepared to charge her but Tenten stopped them. "Hey you three, let me take this. I'll end it quickly" Tenten said as she pulled out and used a sealing scroll that made a ninjato appear in her hand. Seeing what Tenten was getting at, Yakumo laughed and summoned her scythe, "Graceful Lily". "Arrogance will get you killed. I should know, I've killed and seen many be killed simply out of arrogance. I guess I can't blame you though, the excitement of battle is a pretty strong temptation" Yakumo finished, placing her scythe on her shoulder much like her boyfriend did with his sword. Tenten snorted at Yakumo's words. "From where I'm standing, you and your team are the arrogant ones. You get lucky on a couple of missions and you think you're above all of us? You're right that I'm excited for this battle because it's my chance to knock you down a few pegs and teach you some humility" Tenten said clenching her ninjato tightly in her grip.

Tenten sped towards Yakumo aiming for a quick strike. Yakumo chuckled at the simple attack. Lifting her scythe off of her shoulder, she swung it in Tenten's direction causing the girl to jump up and throw her shurikens. Yakumo raised her scythe and deflected all of the shurikens with another simple swing of her weapon. Tenten landed and stopped for a moment, trying to formulate some sort of strategy to get inside Yakumo's guard. Yakumo watched as her opponent thought of a plan and also watched the other three genin who stayed out of their fight. She shook her head in disappointment, one of the cornerstones of Konoha was their teamwork, something that she wasn't seeing any of at the moment. Giving a sigh, she looked back at Tenten who seemed to have come up with a strategy. "Are you ready now because I'm becoming bored" Yakumo said which pissed Tenten off. "Fine, you asked for it" Tenten said with a fire in her eyes as she threw three kunai at Yakumo. The brunette genjutsu master watched the kunai come and noticed that they were off target. Just as the kunai flew by her head, she noticed something. There were tags on each of the kunai. Yakumo's eyes widened and before she could react, the kunai exploded.

Tenten, Hinata, Choji, and Ino looked at the smoke that covered where Yakumo was, and when it cleared, it revealed Yakumo lying on the ground with obvious burns to her face. Seeing what the result of her attack had done, Tenten, Hinata, Choji, and Ino each started to run towards Yakumo in order to help her but for some reason were unable to move. As they realized that their legs weren't obeying, they also came to the realization that their breathing was becoming more and more labored. The world in front of them started to grow hazy and distort as each fell to their legs no longer supporting them. Their breathing started to become so labored that each of them were only able to take small breaths. Just as they were were about to pass out from lack of oxygen, the distortions in their world ended and Yakumo was no longer lying on the ground. Instead, she was standing in front of them without a scratch on her, her arms crossed, and a disappointed look on her face. "I expected more. A Konoha ninja is supposed to value teamwork but I've seen none of that so far. Two of you are out of the fight and if I had wanted, each of you would be dead right now. Hinata, Choji, Ino, you three let Tenten face me alone. Tenten, you let your emotions control you from the very start of the battle and told your fellow ninja to not assist you. Mistakes like these get you killed out there. Now get up and try to work together when you fight me" Yakumo said as she walked back to her starting position. Tenten, Ino, Choji, and Ino slowly stood up and regained their bearings.

Yakumo waited and watched as her opponents huddled together to come up with a quick strategy. When they broke the huddle, Yakumo raised an eyebrow as Hinata and Choji stepped forward. Choji acted first when he shouted "Multi-Size Technique" and immediately grew significantly bigger and rounder. Beside him, Hinata activated her Byakugan and prepared to attack. Choji in his expanded form shouted "Human Bullet Tank" and started to spin quickly but didn't move forward, he just spun in place as his speed rapidly increased. Once Choji started to spin, Hinata rushed towards Yakumo and started to attack using the Gentle Fist, this time with more determination and energy. So much so that Yakumo was now actually using effort to dodge Hinata's attacks. So began the taijutsu match between Yakumo and Hinata in flexibility vs. technique. Hinata attacked quickly but Yakumo was faster as she bent, moved, and twisted to avoid the strikes aimed at her tenketsu points. Just as Yakumo prepared to strike Hinata, the Hyuga jumped away which slightly confused Yakumo until the brunette looked behind her. A massive speeding ball that could only be Choji was rapidly approaching. Thinking quickly, Yakumo jumped and started to actually fly as wings made of paper sprouted to help Yakumo avoid Choji. Once Choji passed and stopped spinning, she landed in front of Choji and prepared to give a knockout blow but was suddenly grabbed by her ankle tightly. Looking down, she saw her ankle being held by a string of chakra that seemed to be going through a trail of blonde hair. Before Yakumo could act, she was swung by the chakra hold and slammed into the ground and on top of a small amount of hair which held her down. That's when a shadow came over her.

Looking up, Yakumo saw a giant scroll hovering high over her. Behind the scroll, Tenten shouted "Heavenly Chain Disaster" and a swarm of weapons from kunai to katannas flew down to impale the genjutsu user. Yakumo smiled as she was actually impressed with the teamwork. There was definitely potential. Still smiling, Yakumo whispered "Dance of the Shikigami" as her body dispersed into hundreds of sheets of paper allowing her to once again escape a suspension jutsu. As she dissipated, hundreds of weapons impaled the papers. When Yakumo reappeared, she had a smile on her face and started clapping. "Good teamwork you guys. As Leaf shinobi, one of the most important parts of our job is teamwork. If your teamwork is strong enough, you can be a threat to anyone" Yakumo said.

Hinata, Choji, Ino, and Tenten each smiled at their lesson. Their smiles died however at Yakumo's next words. "Now that you've learned your lesson, I suppose it's time I end this" Yakumo said before bringing her hands together and shouting "Peaceful Lullaby" casting a genjutsu that sent each of the ninja into a dream filled rest. When each of her opponents fell completely to the jutsu, she decided to leave and go watch Sasuke's fight.

(Sasuke)

Sasuke stood with his arms crossed and a cocky smirk on his face as he faced his opponents. Kiba and Akamaru, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Sakura Haruno. Not a very interesting challenge in the Uchiha's opinion. Sasuke did raise an eyebrow however when Sakura stepped forward as if to call out the Uchiha herself. Still smirking, Sasuke walked towards Sakura until he was standing right in front of her. Looking down at her, Sasuke grinned in amusement. "My my Sakura, so bold. I'll tell you what, I will give you a free shot right now. Maybe that will make you see the consequences of being a stupid fangirl" Sasuke said. A second after he finished speaking, Sasuke was sent flying from a punch to the face courtesy of Sakura's chakra enhanced punch. Sasuke kept flying until he collided harshly with a tree. Getting up with a groan, Sasuke raised his hand to his lip to see that he was bleeding. Wiping his lip, he walked back to his opponents, chuckling the whole way back. When he reached them, Sasuke shook his head. "Nice punch Sakura. Serves me right for underestimating my opponent" he said before getting into his battle stance. "It won't happen again I promise you" Sasuke said no longer grinning. Before Sakura could attack Sasuke, a shout of "Fang Over Fang" came from beside her. Kiba and Akamaru who were now in the forms of rapidly spinning spirals sped toward Sasuke. Sasuke sighed before jumping up high and summoning his double sided spear. After Kiba and Akamaru impacted Sasuke's previous position, they quickly adjusted and spun upwards towards Sasuke. In the air, Sasuke gave a small shake of his head before raising his spear and shouting "Lightning Rain". Bolts of lightning flew from the spear and right into the incoming forms of Kiba and Akamaru. The lightning stopped the spinning ninja and dog and shocked them to the point of unconsciousness. Once Kiba and Akamaru were out of it, they began to fall towards the ground and would have been hurt from the landing, but Sakura was able to make it under the two and catch them.

Sakura laid the bodies of Kiba and Akamaru gently on the ground before examining them quickly. Both had burn marks from where the lightning bolts had hit their body, but luckily for them the electricity had not been too intense and had left their bodies quickly. The pink haired aspiring medic turned her head and looked as Sasuke landed gracefully on his feet in front of her. "It's your turn now Sakura. Get up and I'll end it as quickly as" Sasuke started but was interrupted as he narrowly dodged a gentle fist strike from Neji who had his byakugan activated. Turning his attention to the Hyuga, Sasuke smirked. The Hyuga and Uchiha had been rivals since the beginning of Konoha history, both fighting to be the signature dojutsu of the Hidden Leaf Village. "Have you learned from our last fight?" asked Sasuke making sure to remind Neji of his loss to Sasuke in the chunin exams. Neji narrowed his eyes and entered the Gentle Fist pose. "Your fate is to be defeated by me, and you can't fight fate" Neji said as Sakura and Lee stood by his side. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Neji's words. "I really had hoped that you learned, especially with that teammate of yours" Sasuke said looking at Lee which elicited a surprised expression on the taijutsu specialist' face. "Lee was labeled as the deadlast of his class yet he has surpassed most of you genin. Through determination and hard work, he defied your so called "fate". But if you believe that my fate is to lose to you right here, then prove it" Sasuke said stabbing his spear into the ground. With a smirk, Sasuke got into the Uchiha Interceptor pose and activated his three tomoed sharingan.

Neji rushed at Sasuke trying to land a strike to one of Sasuke's tenketsu points in his chest which the Uchiha easily avoided. Neji tried to follow up his attack but missed again. One after another, Sasuke was dodging each of Neji's attacks. Seeing the situation, Lee took it upon himself to enter the fight. Rushing towards the two, Lee threw a punch at Sasuke just as he dodged another one of Neji's strikes. Noticing his new opponent enter the fight, Sasuke dug his heel into the ground and pushed off to narrowly avoid Lee's attack. Unfortunately for the Uchiha, he had forgotten all about Sakura during his unfinished scuffle with Neji. When Sasuke pushed off and went backwards, he went right into the vicinity of Sakura who landed a chakra enhanced kick to Sasuke's side sending him back towards Neji and Lee. Seeing their opportunity, both Neji and Lee prepared their attacks. As Sasuke neared Neji, the Hyuga got into his stance and said "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation" before spinning and creating a dome of chakra. Lee meanwhile, backed up and waited on his teammate to land his attack so that he could land his own.

Sasuke quickly flew right into rotating dome of chakra and was knocked upwards by the impenetrable barrier. As he went up high, Lee appeared right behind him in the air and shouted "Primary Lotus" before using the wrappings on his arms to grab and hold Sasuke. After the bushy browed ninja had his opponent restrained, the two began rapidly spinning towards the ground. When the two made impact, a large cloud of dust covered the dust began to slowly clear and it revealed Lee on one knee breathing hard and Sasuke lying on the ground looking at the sky. Sasuke was harshly breathing and quickly trying to mentally assess the damage he had received. His body hurt bad, but he didn't think that anything was broken or that there was any significant injury to be worried about. Slowly getting off of the ground and standing up, Sasuke grinned. "It's nice to see teamwork in action and I respect that you have each given me your all. To show my respect, I will try not to hold back as much as I've been doing" Sasuke said as he rolled his neck. Raising his arm, Sasuke said "Solar Destruction" before launching his signature golden fireball at the trio. Lee and Sakura jumped to the side to avoid it, but Neji used his "Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation" to defend against the attack. The ball collided with the chakra dome and after immense effort, Neji's dome was able to outlast Sasuke's fireball. Seeing the result of his attack, Sasuke smiled and started running towards Neji. "Well done Hyuga, but I want to test your impenetrable defense myself" Sasuke shouted before jumping up and slamming his fist into the spinning dome. The Uchiha let chakra flow and cover his fist as he could feel the dome tearing it. Noting the heavy resistance, Sasuke pushed harder against Neji's dome. Neji continued to spin, even started to speed up in order to end his foolish opponent right here and now. Sasuke noted the increased intensity of Neji's rotation and simply increased the amount of chakra in his fist and pushed harder. Pushing with all his might, Sasuke yelled out as he finally broke through the Hyuga's impenetrable defense and slammed his fist into Neji's face hard, effectively knocking the boy unconscious.

Sakura and Lee were speechless at what they just witnessed. Nothing was supposed to be able to breach the Hyuga impenetrable defense but Sasuke had done it. Meanwhile, the black haired Uchiha regained his breath and looked at his right hand. It was quite bloody and completely numb. He couldn't even feel his right arm anymore which he attributed to the dome hitting every tenketsu point in his arm. With a sigh, Sasuke turned around knowing that he had to end this quickly. When Sasuke turned around, he looked at Lee and Sakura before slowly walking over to his spear. Sakura and Lee just watched, wondering what he had planned. As Sasuke reached his spear, he started to laugh loudly. "You three almost had me. I'll admit that I didn't expect much and I will probably get a lecture from my brother and Yakumo about underestimating your opponent" Sasuke said before smiling at the two remaining ninja. "I've had fun and you both deserve to be ninja" Sasuke said before his smile vanished. "But it's time that I end this" Sasuke said before going through a quick series of one handed handsigns and shouting "Meteor Rain". Sasuke launched ten fireballs from his mouth instead of the usual twenty into the air and when they reached their peaks, Sasuke removed his spear from the ground. Each fireball broke off into smaller ones and landed creating small explosions where Sakura and Lee had been. Seeing the attack, both had jumped into the air to avoid the fireballs from landing on them. When they did however, the last thing they heard was "Lightning Rain" before they too were taken out of the battle.

Sasuke stood up examining his work and deactivated his sharingan when he heard clapping. Turning around, he smiled as he saw Yakumo walking towards him. "Nice job duck butt" she said causing the Uchiha to clench his jaw at the jab. "Now come on, we should get your girlfriend healed" Yakumo said making Sasuke look very confused. Tilting his head, he was about to ask what she meant until he saw where her gaze was directed at when she said that. Looking at his hand, Sasuke got angry and embarrassed quickly causing Yakumo to laugh. Sasuke walked past the girl mumbling about staying out of his business and personal privacy while Yakumo followed, laughing the whole way back.

(An hour and a half later)

Each of the genin were conscious and healed up as they sat eating lunch with Yakumo and Sasuke. "How did you guys get so strong?" asked Choji making everyone lean in to hear in hopes of finding out how to become that strong. Sasuke and Yakumo looked at each other and looked back at the crowd of genin before simultaneously shrugging which caused everyone to fall over. "Don't worry about our training, just worry about yours. Different ninja grow stronger from different training. All you have to do is find the best way to train for you and find your reason for being a shinobi. Isn't that right Sasuke?" Yakumo asked to which Sasuke only grunted and nodded. Lee stood up with a smile and shouted "Your words are so youthful. I will train nonstop everyday until I am as strong as you two." Lee smiled widely but everyone else sweatdropped. "We should do this more often" Sakura said voicing her opinion. Yakumo nodded with a grin. "That sounds like fun. It would be nice to have someone other than his lame ass as a training partner" Yakumo said elbowing Sasuke as the boy grew a tick mark on his head.

Away from the group of genin and two chunin sat their senseis, each one smiling. "It's nice to see everyone getting along. Maybe we should make this a regular thing?" suggested Kurenai as she watched the group of kids laughing and enjoying everyone's company, especially Hinata who was smiling a real smile. Each of the senseis nodded. "Training together will make their youth burn hotter and hotter" said Guy with a grin that showed off his sparkling white teeth. "It would be nice for Sasuke to get some friends besides Naruto and Yakumo" Itachi said. At the mentioning of Team 11's leader, Asuma turned to Itachi and Kushina. "Speaking of which, where is Naruto? I actually wanted to see how my team stacked up against him but Yakumo said that he's unavailable" Asuma said. Kushina, Itachi, and Konan each shared a look. "He's in a crucial part of his training so he will be unavailable for a while" said Konan. Asuma nodded at the answer. All of the senseis returned their gaze to their students and how good of a time they were having socializing with one another and vowed to make this into a more regular occurrence not only to make their students' abilities stronger, but to increase the strength of their bonds as well.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long everyone. Classes have been crazy with exams coming left and right which hasn't left me with a whole lot of time to update but I'll try and keep getting these out as quick as possible. So this was the first chapter of three before Naruto returns to the village. The next one will deal mainly with Sasuke and his training. Anyways, thanks for all the support. I hope that you liked this chapter and make sure to LEAVE A REVIEW! See you soon.


	32. The Hope of the Uchiha

PinkiePieParty122894: Always reliable. Thanks for the continued support, it's definitely helped my confidence as a writer and I hope that you like this chapter.

Animaman: For the fight between the twins and Jiraiya, I plan to kind of build it up later on because I've wanted last chapter, this chapter, and the next chapter to focus on Yakumo, Sasuke, and Naruto's individual time. I'm still thinking about how to write it in so still a work in progress. You will see some of Naruto's memories next chapter though. Kushina and Minato will have some inner reflection when Naruto returns home, I can't say anything about Kakashi other than I have plans for him later on that I'm trying to decide how to write. I do like the idea of the twins telling their story and I am seriously considering something along those lines.

ncpfan: I'm glad that you liked the chapter and I hope you like this one. I am going to try and get the other genin more involved in the story and in Team 11's lives.

1995hzq: Thanks for wishing me well on my exams. As for Yakumo, I think it kind of turned out for the best since I plan on having Hinata become a lot stronger with the help of Kurenai while Yakumo showed Kurenai that she didn't really need her.

Guest: It's been a common complaint about Naruto forgiving his parents too fast and hardly any bashing towards them. I kind of rushed this story early on but I plan to try and rectify the early forgiveness issue soon.

experimenter19: I'm glad that you liked the end for what I assume was Chapter 8. I tried to explain that Naruto forgiving his parents had to do with the situation at the time but I plan to clarify soon.

KingRyu: Well, sorry that you did't like the story.

boobsareawesomeO.o: I explain later on why the weapon is stronger than a biju and I plan on going further into it later on. Sorry to disappoint.

(Uchiha Estate)

Sasuke was in his backyard doing push-ups. He had started exercising at dawn and it was nearly noon now. Sasuke had been training for hours without the smallest break, he had to if he hoped to catch up to Naruto. This is the sight Itachi was met with as he walked towards Sasuke. Ever since Naruto had left, Sasuke had been torturing himself and increasing the intensity of his training everyday. It was a bit concerning but Itachi could understand where his brother was coming from. Many would take his obsession with getting stronger as pure greed for power, but Itachi saw through it. Sasuke wanted to be prepared for the day that Naruto couldn't handle a enemy alone. He wanted to be not only a good teammate, but a good friend as well even if he wouldn't admit it. Stopping in front of his brother, Itachi placed his foot on Sasuke's back forcing his brother to the ground. "You're exhausted Sasuke. Come inside and take a break" Itachi said removing his foot. Sasuke slowly stood up and faced his brother before shaking his head. "No time, I have to get stronger" Sasuke responded. Itachi looked at his brother for a long moment. The boy was a mess. He was drenched in sweat, his breathing was heavy, and he looked ready to collapse at any moment. "I wasn't asking Sasuke. As your sensei I am ordering you to take a break" Itachi said expecting an argument from his little brother. It was a pleasant surprise when instead of arguing, Sasuke just nodded and started walking towards the house. Itachi smiled before following quickly.

When the two entered the house, Sasuke immediately found the couch and flopped onto it much to the amusement of Itachi who looked at him from the kitchen. "You know Sasuke, there's no point in trying to reach Naruto's level of strength if you kill yourself in the process" Itachi said getting an ice pack out of the freezer and bringing it to his brother. The tired Uchiha slowly took it and nodded at Itachi's words. "I know but I have to get stronger. Yakumo is getting powerful and I don't want to even think about how strong Naruto is now" Sasuke said shaking his head. "I don't want to be the weak link of the group" Sasuke said with an almost defeated look. Itachi sighed. "Sasuke, not every team has a weak link. Each of you are incredibly strong in your own rights, but you each contribute equally to the team" Itachi said to which Sasuke just looked away. "You don't believe me?" asked Itachi. Sasuke looked back at his brother with a scowl. "You may think that we do things as a team, but I know the truth of it all. When we fought Yagura, we did it as a team, but I knew that Naruto could have taken him on by himself if he chose to" Sasuke said clenching his fists.

Itachi was silent for a long moment before responding "So?" which caused Sasuke to look at him in surprise. "Maybe he could have taken Yagura on his own, but he asked for your help. And there will be times when he needs your help again" Itachi said, silently reminding Sasuke of the Shinigami's Blade and how they had made quick work of his friend which made Sasuke grip his fists even harder. "You want to be able to help your friend by shouldering the burden he has on his shoulders which is to be expected, but you have to know your limits. This nonstop training is tearing your body apart, not making it grow. So as your sensei, I am ordering you to take a week off from training" Itachi stated which caused Sasuke's eyes to widen. Before he could get up to argue, Itachi disappeared in a whirl of crow feathers. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke laid back on the couch as his muscles tried to relax. Maybe his brother had a point. Slowly but surely, Sasuke fell asleep.

(Sasuke's Dream)

Sasuke opened his eyes and realized he was lying on a wooden floor. Standing up, he began rubbing his back which was sore from the hard surface. As Sasuke looked around, all he could infer was that he was in a large wooden dimly lit room. "I've waited some time for this opportunity" spoke a deep voice nearly causing the young Uchiha. Looking around quickly, Sasuke reached for his kunai only to realize that his ninja pouch was gone from his body. Still looking around, Sasuke growled and shouted "Show yourself!" For a long moment, nothing happened. Not a sound was made, not a single thing moved. Then out of nowhere the voice spoke again in a deep voice as it said "Very well". Sasuke continued to look around until a swirl of smoke seemed to appear out of thin air right in front of him. The rise of the smoke didn't last long and when it cleared, Sasuke was met with the sight of a grown man. The man had long black hair, wore a familiar type of armor, and had a gunbai strapped to his back. The black haired chunin examined the man feeling as if he should know who was standing in front of him.

A minute went by and still no words were spoken. Sasuke, who was getting impatient, broke the silence. "Who are you?" the Uchiha asked. The man in front of him chuckled at the question and folded his arms. "I am Madara Uchiha, former leader of the Uchiha and the co-founder of Konoha" the man now known as Madara said with a smirk. Sasuke's jaw dropped at the introduction before shaking his head and narrowing his eyes. "Bullshit. Madara Uchiha has been dead for years. Also, I'm pretty sure that nothing here is real right now" Sasuke said looking around but keeping one eye on the man in front. Madara chuckled at Sasuke's suspicion as the boy was starting to remind him of his younger self. "You are correct in that we are no longer in the physical world. You are also correct that I am dead. But I assure you that everything you are experiencing and everything that I have to tell you is very real" Madara said in a serious tone causing Sasuke's attention to return back to him. "What are you playing at?" Sasuke asked with an expression that clearly showed that his patience was running out.

Once again, Madara chuckled at Sasuke's attitude. "Well young Uchiha, what I want is for you to sit and listen to what I have to say" Madara said. Sasuke kept his eyes narrowed. "And why would I do that?" asked the younger Uchiha to which Madara smiled. "Because I have the experience to tell you of the mistakes to avoid if you want your loved ones to live on" the elder Uchiha answered as he sat on the floor and motioned for Sasuke to do the same. Though he was hesitant, Sasuke slowly sat down next to Madara. Smiling at Sasuke's willingness to listen to what he had to say, Madara took a small breath before speaking. "You remind me of myself young one. I once wanted to protect those close to me at all costs. I trained and trained until I became the strongest of the Uchiha. I believed myself to be the most powerful human on Earth when I used my Mangekyo Sharingan and I had the victories to back me up. That's when I met a man named Hashirama Senju, the man who would later become the First Hokage of Konoha" Madara said with a warm smile.

"Like me, he fought for those close to him. Many including him believed us to be of equal power, but I knew the truth. He was stronger than I. Throughout my life, I was obsessed with becoming so strong that no one would hurt my loved ones. I refused help and instead chose to walk a lonely path that made me powerful but changed me in ways that I didn't realize until it was too late. I became cold and impatient, I pushed the ones I swore to protect away from me in hopes that I would be able to protect them better. My thoughts and assumptions caused me to become distracted. That's why my brother died. My brother, Izuna, died at the hands of Hashirama's brother, Tobirama Senju, because I was not there to protect him. The revelation that after everything I did, after all I had given up, I still couldn't protect my loved ones, was devastating. I had pushed those close to me away to the point that my own clansmen were considering joining with the Senju Clan. Deep down, I couldn't blame them. Izuna was the light of the Uchiha Clan so the idea of only having me wasn't the most appealing thought" Madara said with a short laugh.

Sasuke looked at Madara. "But you did go and you formed Konoha when you did. So in the end, you listened to your Clan like any respectable leader" Sasuke said before Madara let out a louder laugh than before. "No my boy, that is not the story. As a matter of fact, my thoughts were to kill anyone who muttered anything positive about the Senju Clan because that is what I had become" Madara said frowning. Sasuke tilted his head in confusion. "Well then how did Konoha get founded?" Sasuke asked as he had started to become very interested in the story he was being told. Madara's frown slowly turned into a smile at Sasuke's question. "One night in the pouring rain, I heard a knock at my door. When I answered, Hashirama Senju was on the other side. He was alone without any of his clansmen so I allowed him to speak. He gave his condolences about Izuna and told me that he only wished for peace. He wanted a world where no more brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, were killed in pointless conflict. He was so determined for peace that he told me he would kill himself right in front of me if it would end the conflict. In that instant, I saw a man who genuinely wanted peace. A man unlike any other. So we talked and eventually I agreed on his ambition of peace. The Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan came together to create Konoha and the rest I'm sure that you have learned throughout history books. Unfortunately, I didn't learn anything" Madara said with a sigh.

Sasuke, who was now intent on hearing the entirety of the story asked "What do you mean?" Madara looked at Sasuke with a sad look on his face. "I believed that I needed to be stronger to protect my precious people and that only I could do it. For you see boy, that is the reason why Hashirama was always stronger than me. He accepted and embraced others and their help while I just pushed it all away. I suppose it was destiny that the two of us would and our ways would clash. I considered Hashirama's continued belief in the good of everyone as foolish and naive. He believed in world peace through unity and I believed in world peace through control. So we met for the final time in a valley outside of Konoha where we fought in a battle for supremacy. I lost the battle, but not my life. Through a series of events that you are not yet ready to understand, I lived even though Hashirama believed that I was dead. From the darkness, I made preparations to attain my idea of peace, little did I know that the idea of peace through control was not believed in solely by me. Time passed and all the pieces of my plan for peace were falling into place, but it was not to be" Madara said clenching his fists.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked noticing the change in Madara. Madara was silent for a long moment before answering. "A group of five found were my pieces were based. Five came, but only one acted. One man killed the entirety of the ninja I had gathered to enact my plan except for one, ruining my hopes of being brought back into the world. This one man held power not meant for normal human beings" Madara said as Sasuke's eyes started to widen from the information he had just been told.

"I often wondered what Hashirama and I could have accomplished had I not become the cruel man that I did." Madara said before facing Sasuke and looking directly into his eyes. "You train in hopes of protecting those close to you just as I did. I am here to tell you to slow down. Calm your desires of growing stronger for it will only lead you down a dark road like mine. Your friend will not be able to overcome the danger that is coming without help. He knows this well, just as Hashirama did. You must be ready when it is time to help your friend, unlike me. I was unable to be there for my precious people because of who I had become, do not make my mistake. End the cycle of hatred and redeem my mistakes for it will ultimately be up to you Sasuke Uchiha. Do you understand?" Madara asked solemnly to which Sasuke just nodded in response. "Good. Now, I will give you a gift that is of the most precious quality. It is your choice on whether you use it or not, but if you do, only use it in the most dire need. It is time for you to go now young Uchiha. Remember what I have told you" Madara said with a smile.

(Uchiha Estate)

Sasuke woke up abruptly, looking around and breathing heavy. As his breathing slowed and he started to calm down, a sharp pain flared in his eyes. Yelling out, he rushed to the bathroom to see what was wrong in the mirror. Once he reached the mirror, the pain had ended but Sasuke stood shocked at the sight of himself or to be specific his eyes. His sharingan was activated but it was very different than his normal three tomoed eyes. His eyes now featured a six sided red star with a black pupil in the middle of his black eyes. Before he could start to think of what had happened, a voice whispered in his head "Mangekyo".

* * *

(Yakiniku Q)

Itachi and Konan sat waiting for their lunch. Konan examined her boyfriend who was concentrating on the table and not saying a word. The blue haired kunoitchi sighed before grabbing Itachi's hand to get his attention. "Okay, what's up Itachi?" Konan asked. Itachi looked up at his girlfriend. "Sasuke has been training a lot lately. He's pushing himself too hard and I'm just worried about him" Itachi said before returning his gaze to the table. "Well maybe he just needs to get out more. He seems to enjoy the weekly spars against the other teams, so maybe push him to start hanging out from some of the members of the other teams. And if he's still so "focused", get him a girlfriend" she said making Itachi's eyes widen a little. "I don't think my mother would be very appreciative about the last part, but you may be right about the making friends aspect" Itachi said. Konan smirked. "I'm always right, I thought you'd have learned that already Itachi" the blue haired woman said causing Itachi to chuckle and nod. Their conversation was interrupted as the server arrived with the meat for them to cook and a large order of pocky that Itachi had ordered for himself.

A few minutes passed and the two were now in the middle of eating their meal. Itachi looked up from his food and asked his girlfriend, "How's Yakumo doing?" Konan swallowed the food in her mouth before answering. "She's doing really well. Her taijutsu is getting better and better and her paper ninjutsu is getting really good as well. Yakumo is also working on a way to integrate her ninjutsu into her genjutsu so that the effects are stronger when the damage of her genjutsu is done. But we've come up with something that I think will make her the most powerful kunoitchi in Konoha but you have to keep this a secret" she said seriously which got a nod from the Uchiha. "We've come up with a way to make her nearly if not as fast as Minato" she said making Itachi's jaw drop. "H-H-H-How is that possible?" Itachi stuttered out. Konan chuckled at her boyfriend's reaction. "That my dear Itachi is a secret. Just know that your student is making you proud" she said with a smile. Itachi let out a small laugh. "Konan, I've been proud of them since their teamwork test. I've never had a doubt that the three of them will be the most powerful ninja in Konoha someday. Still, it's nice to hear she is doing well" Itachi said with a smile that slowly fell. "I wonder how Naruto's doing. It's been months since I've seen the kid. I know that he's out there getting stronger but I miss him and I know Sasuke does as well" Itachi said getting a nod from Konan. "Yeah, Yakumo has been going crazy about it as well. But what he's doing is very serious and it's something that he has to do" she said looking down as she reminisced about her own sister. Itachi's eyebrow rose at her comment. "Do you know what he's doing?" Itachi asked. "He's finishing his training, I just hope he comes back the same. If what Sera went through is any indication, the kid is going through hell" she said clenching her fist lightly before a hand was placed on it.

Itachi looked his girlfriend in the eyes. "Hey, Naruto will be okay. He's strong and he's only going to get stronger" the Uchiha said with a smile. Konan smiled back at her boyfriend and the two continued their date.

* * *

(Uchiha Estate One Week Later)

Sasuke sat in meditation outside thinking about the "gift" he had been given from Madara. He had learned about the Mangekyo Sharingan, all Uchiha had to know each level of the sharingan before they entered the academy. According to what he had learned, once it was activated he could activate it separate from his normal three tomoed sharingan by adding more chakra to his eyes. Each Mangekyo gave the user different but sometimes similar abilities such as the similarities between his brother's Mangekyo and his cousin Shisui's. The consequences of using the Mangekyo was loss of vision with abundant use of the eyes. For that reason, Sasuke had not activated it since he discovered that he had it. He knew that he would have to train with it eventually, but he also knew that it had to be kept a secret.

"How's it going?" asked the familiar voice of his brother interrupting his meditation and causing his eyebrow to begin twitching. "I was trying to meditate, but since you are here I guess that's not gonna happen" Sasuke said standing up and facing his brother who had an amused smile on his face. "You up for a spar? I know that you've been restless for the week so I thought maybe I could make it up to you" Itachi said with his arms crossed. Sasuke smirked at his brother. "Are you sure you can take me. I think you may be rusty. I know you haven't trained as much since you started dating Konan" Sasuke said making Itachi raise an eyebrow. "Well let's find out shall we" Itachi said getting into his Interceptor stance and activating his sharingan. Sasuke did the same. A long moment passed as the two did noting before dashing at one another. Sasuke threw the first punch which was dodged by Itachi. Itachi countered which was dodged by Sasuke. The two kept trying to break each other's defenses using taijutsu and both were starting to land hits when Sasuke jumped back and shouted "Solar Destruction". The golden ball of fire flew at Itachi who quickly dodged but not before throwing three kunai at his brother. Sasuke dodged each of the kunai and barely dodged a followup punch from Itachi.

Sasuke separated from Itachi and the two stared at each other. Itachi smirked and Sasuke clenched his jaw. Biting his thumb, Sasuke rubbed his blood across his seal and summoned his spear. Itachi pulled out his ninjato in response. The two quickly rushed at one another and became locked in a battle of kenjutsu. Strike after strike was blocked by each of the Uchiha until the two were holding their weapons against each other struggling for dominance. "What's the matter Sasuke, feeling tired?" Itachi asked trying to rile his little brother up. Sasuke instead smirked and looked at his brother. "Itachi I'm disappointed" Sasuke said making Itachi frown. Before Itachi could ask why, a surge of electricity flowed from Sasuke's spear, into Itachi's ninjato, and struck him sending him flying backwards. Sasuke let a little smile form on his face before going through a very quick series of handsigns. When he finished, Sasuke shouted the name of his brand new creation. "Emperor's Tempest" Sasuke shouted as a giant vortex of fire and lightning surrounded Itachi and rose up. When Sasuke was satisfied with the attack, he ended the jutsu and the vortex decreased in size until eventually dissolving. The Uchiha was ready to go check and see if his brother was dead or not but a kunai to his neck stopped him. "Still so arrogant little Sasuke" said Itachi from behind him who was breathing a little heavily.

The younger Uchiha's eyes widened. How did his brother get away? Itachi removed his kunai from his brother's neck and came to stand in front of him. "How did you get out?" asked Sasuke as he wiped the little bit of blood from where Itachi's kunai had been. "Simple, I was never in" Itachi said getting a confused look from Sasuke. "When we were locked in our kenjutsu battle, you committed the ultimate sin anyone can make when facing an Uchiha. You looked into my eyes" Itachi said causing his brother's eyes to widen. "You've grown very powerful and if it were anyone but an Uchiha in this fight, they would be seriously injured. But you have to use the knowledge that you have on your opponent. For the most part, you did well. I was impressed with your new technique" Itachi said. "As was I" announced the voice of Fugaku who had come to stand and watch his sons battling it out. "You've grown worthy of the Uchiha name Sasuke" Fugaku said. Itachi looked at his father. "Would you like to train with us father?" Itachi asked to which Fugaku shook his head. "No, I have somewhere that I must be. Carry on" the man said before leaving.

(Thirty minutes later)

Sasuke and Itachi walked into the house, both sweaty and tired. Mikoto was coming out of her room when she saw her sons and smiled at the sight. She remembered her ninja days and the nonstop training with Kushina. "I see you two are done training for the day?" Mikoto asked alerting her sons to her presence. "Yes mother, I think we are. Sasuke did very well in our spar today and I think he has earned a rest" Itachi said with a smirk as Sasuke fell onto the couch. Mikoto giggled at the sight of her youngest son who had obviously overdone it just as she used to. "Hehehe, you know this kind of reminds me of my ninja days. Kushina and I would train all day, me pushing her and her doing the same, but I wasn't really able to keep up with that famous Uzumaki stamina. There were a couple of times that I did beat her though" Mikoto said with a proud smile getting a raised eyebrow from both of her sons. Their mother didn't really speak a whole lot about her ninja days but they were aware that she was on the same team as Kushina Uzumaki along with Tsume Inuzaka. "How did you beat her?" Sasuke asked. Mikoto giggled at the question. "Well in terms of power, I knew that Kushina had the massive advantage, but little things like getting her off balance by calling her "tomato head" or sexual comments about Minato usually threw her off enough for me to win a few of our spars" she said with a grin while Sasuke and Itachi both sweatdropped.

"I see, and how would that relate to our spars when I'm both stronger and smarter than little Sasuke here?" Itachi asked. Sasuke disregarded the jab at him as he looked to his mother for her answer. A full minute passed as Mikoto concentrated and tried to come up with an answer before she just shrugged in response to her oldest son's question. Both Sasuke and Itachi fell to the ground at their mother's response to which Mikoto simply giggled.

* * *

(Underground Konoha)

Danzo watched as a large amount of people left his base and let a small smile show on his face as a man approached him from the shadows. "Danzo" the man in the shadows said. "I'm glad that you could make it, I take it you have an answer for me then, Fugaku?" Danzo asked. Fugaku Uchiha stepped out of the shadows and nodded. "When the time comes, the Uchiha Clan will fight for your cause, but only if our demands are met" Fugaku said. Danzo nodded with a slightly larger smile. "Yes, you will be next in line for Hokage after I take the title and increase the power of the Hokage. After I am no longer Hokage, the title will belong to the Uchiha Clan as long as you wish" Fugaku said sticking his hand out. Fugaku looked at his hand for a while before reaching with his own and shaking the old man's hand.

* * *

(Later That Night)

Sasuke sat outside staring at the moon, something he knew that his sword wielding teammate did regularly. It was a very strange day for him and he had hoped that the quiet of the night would bring him some sort of clarity like it did Naruto. There were so many questions in his mind that needed to be answered. Was it really Madara Uchiha who appeared to him? Why would Madara appear to him? How did Madara give him the Mangekyo? It made Sasuke's head spin. It had to have been Madara Uchiha, who else would know the things that he knew? Sasuke sighed. Looking up at the moon, Sasuke smiled. "Naruto, you have a great burden on your shoulders but when the time comes, I'll be there to lighten the load. I will also make sure that the Uchiha Clan will survive and work together for the good of Konoha, that I promise you Madara. The cycle of hatred will end and we will become a clan to be proud of not just in terms of strength, but in integrity and honor as well" Sasuke said still looking at the moon.

Just as Sasuke was going back inside, a voice whispered in his mind, "I leave the Uchiha Clan to you Sasuke."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know that a lot of you might be disappointed with how short the chapter was but I hope that there were enough twists to keep it enjoyable for you all. I'm also sorry it took so long. Classes coupled with writer's block usually spells one thing, disaster. I plan to have the next chapter out much quicker though. Anyway, thanks for the support, I hope that you enjoyed it, and REVIEW!


	33. A Battle with an Inner Demon

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm really glad that you are still liking it and hope that you like this chapter as well. Love the enthusiasm too.

Animaman: I'm still deciding on whether Fugaku is a mole or not so I'm not sure just yet about Fugaku's exact role with Danzo. Glad that you liked the maturity of Sasuke. Minato and Kushina will definitely start to get to know Yakumo's parents better and her parents will also start to get closer with Naruto as well. As for Minato and Kushina's thoughts on the "prophecy", that will kind of reach a head probably next chapter. Your previous review you mentioned the idea of the twins telling their story which I will more than likely incorporate later on along with a quick checkup on Jiraiya.

1995hzq: Thanks, glad to be back.

Lord Kyuubi: Okay, sensing a little bit of hostility here but if it helps I took your "advice" under consideration and hopefully made it easier for everyone to read.

Jasmine: Still deciding on whether or not Minato becomes aware of the rebellion. I may not have him there at the time simply because "The Yellow Flash" vs. anyone below Sannin level is probably gonna be overkill. Meanwhile, I think I'll just have Fugaku go through the motions and avoid suspicion while he works with the rebels so Fugaku will probably remain as the clan head.

* * *

(Realm of the Serpents)

Naruto dodged an intense stream of water sent by his own personal summon Levios. Upon dodging, Naruto dashed at the serpent who was coiled next to a large lake. Levios had done Naruto the service of constraining himself to a size only about three times the size of Naruto. As Naruto neared Levios, the serpent stopped the stream of water from his mouth, turned in Naruto's new direction, and opened his mouth wide. In his mouth was a large crackling ball of electricity that Levios sent flying towards the blond ninja. Thinking quickly, Naruto summoned his sword in his hand and gave a large swing that cleared the incoming lightning. Before Naruto could perform any further action, he was wrapped tightly within the body of Levios. The serpent had moved faster than Naruto had been able to follow with his eyes.

"You lose" the serpent spoke as he held the blonde. "You must learn not to rely completely on that sword of yours. There will come a time when having that sword will not be enough and you must be ready for that moment" the serpent said before releasing Naruto who stood in place and looked down at the ground in disappointment.

Naruto sighed at Levios' words. "I know. It's just that my sword has become a part of me. Of course it doesn't hurt that it's probably the most powerful sword in existence" Naruto said with a grin causing his serpent companion to shake it's head. "Besides, you and I both know that I'm way ahead in the power of my water and lightning techniques than I should be. Couple that with the fact that I'm getting better at the hiraishin and I should be able to take anyone on. And if I can't, then I'll just call on you to fight them like a good friend would" Naruto said now with a full blown smile.

Levios took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm more like the parent that has to restrain the child that keeps picking a fight with everyone" Levios said causing Naruto to sweatdrop. "Also, you must remember not to let your pride in yourself evolve into arrogance. You are very powerful and your potential is undeniable, but arrogance and overconfidence can be the end of anyone, no matter how strong they are" the serpent said in a slightly scolding tone.

The serpent and his summoner's conversation was interrupted when the body of of the head of the serpents, Leviathan, rose from the lake and slithered in front of Naruto and Levios. Looking down at the two, Leviathan nodded. "Wise words son. You would do well to remember those words young Naruto for even the strongest warrior can be killed by the weakest villager" Leviathan said getting a rapid nod from Naruto. It made Leviathan give a slight chuckle to see that Naruto was still intimidated by him despite the multiple interactions that they had shared. Rising up completely, Leviathan examined his son and his son's summoner. "When you first arrived here Naruto, you were tasked with strengthening your bond with Levios" Leviathan said causing both Naruto and Levios to straighten themselves and pay extra attention. "Naruto, in one of your previous battles you called upon the energy required to enter a sage transformation. You were very lucky that you had a medic of Tsunade's caliber to heal you immediately after your pseudo transformation ended. When you transformed, your muscles strained themselves greatly. I cannot stress to you enough that transforming is a last resort in a battle, at least for now. Now I must ask, how well are the two of you working together?" asked the serpent boss.

Naruto and Levios looked at each other before looking back at the boss serpent with grins on their faces. "I think that we're good in terms of teamwork. I've still got a ways to go until I can perform a technique as powerful as Levios'. Other than that, we work really well together. We know how each other attacks, we know how to complement each other, and I feel like I can beat anyone as long as I have Levios at my side" Naruto said patting Levios' scaly side. Levios simply nodded his head when his father looked at him.

"Good. Then I suppose it would be best for me to test you two personally" Leviathan said with a smirk causing both Naruto and Levios' eyes to go wide. It took a small amount of effort on Leviathan's part to keep from laughing at Naruto and Levios' faces.

Naruto gulped at the suggestion. "N-no that's okay. I'm sure you're busy today but we should definitely schedule it for sometime in the future" Naruto said nervously. "Distant future" added Levios to which Naruto nodded quickly. "Plus I'm sure that you are busy with serpent stuff and whatnot so don't let us distract you from your regular schedule" Naruto said as he tried to come up with more excuses that may get him out of a spar with one of the most powerful creatures in existence.

Leviathan shook his head. "No, I'm cleared for today. Now I believe that a serpent summoner is not supposed to show fear or apprehension in the face of battle. I also expected more from you son, I know that I didn't raise you to be a coward" Leviathan said which had an immediate effect on the blonde chunin. The boy's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists while Levios bared his teeth.

Naruto turned his head and looked at Levios. "You know enough to lead the serpents right?" the boy asked to which Levios smiled with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Turning back to the boss serpent, Naruto gave his confident smirk that he used whenever he went into a serious battle. "Alright, prepare to get your stupid tailed ripped off" Naruto said as electricity started to rise and surround him. Beside him, Levios' fangs started to extend and a line of water with electricity running through it surrounded his body. Naruto and his personal summon looked at each other before Levios dashed at his father. Naruto vanished completely.

The elder serpent let out a powerful stream of water at his son and was slightly surprised when Levios was able to push of the back of his tail and launch into the air. In mid-air, the water and electricity that had run along Levios' body formed into a large ball of water that contained multiple bolts of lightning that were violently trying to escape the ball of water. Leviathan raised his tail to protect himself from the powerful ball that would undoubtedly be launched directly at him but was this time very surprised when Levios launched the ball over his father to an area behind him. As the ball of water and electricity flew, Naruto finally made his appearance as he jumped up into the air and in the bath of the attack. "Uzumaki Seal: Forceful Counter" Naruto shouted as the ball made impact with the blonde but immediately was repelled and sent flying faster and more powerful at Leviathan's back. The ball of water mixed with electricity made a powerful impact that actually moved Leviathan from his stationary spot and created a small cloud of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the sound of a powerful chuckle could be heard from Leviathan as the serpent boss rose to it's full constrained height. "The Uzumaki Clan always was unparalleled in seals. You two have grown stronger than I anticipated but it's time for this spar to end" Leviathan said and tried to move but found that he couldn't. Leviathan looked at his son who was giving off a toothy grin. "Special note about that little attack is that it provides temporary paralysis to the victim if it doesn't kill them. NOW NARUTO!" shouted Levios after explaining his attack.

Naruto nodded at Levios' order and formed a very special hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu" Naruto said, already feeling the exhausting effects of using shadow clones. After creating the shadow clones, Naruto pushed all of his chakra into his hands where he started to form the Rasenshuriken. Normally, the use of shadow clones would be needed to form the chakra shuriken itself, but Naruto did it by himself while his five clones simply stood in place. When the chakra shuriken was finished, sparks of electricity popped out of the ball erratically. Raising his arm, Naruto shouted "TEMPEST RASENSHURIKEN" and threw it. As it left the blonde's hand, the shadow clones did their part by jumping up and pulling apart the attack until each clone held a mini Rasenshuriken in their hands. Once stabilized in their hands, the clones at the same time threw their rasenshuriken shouting "TEMPEST RASENSHURIKEN BARRAGE".

The five chakra shurikens flew towards the paralyzed Leviathan as Levios slithered quickly away from the area. Once the five attacks made impact, a massive dome of chakra formed tearing everything in the immediate area apart. Levios made his way to Naruto who had fallen to his knees and was panting heavily. When he reached his summoner, Naruto just looked up and gave a strained smile before looking in Leviathan's direction to see the result of his attack. It took ten minutes for the dust to finally clear which had Naruto ready to pass out from exhaustion. Looking at the result of Naruto's powerful attack, they saw Leviathan in the same place that he had been but this time, there were a few small gashes on his giant body that were leaking blood.

Naruto fell to the ground unconscious after seeing that one of his most powerful attacks were not even able to do any serious damage to his opponent. Leviathan turned around and slowly approached his son and the serpent summoner. Levios took a defensive stance in front of his summoner which made Leviathan proud of the camaraderie that the two shared. "Relax son, the spar is over. You two have proven to be powerful on your own and able to utilize teamwork to an acceptable degree" Leviathan said as he looked down at the unconscious blonde while Levios gave a sigh of relief. "Sera sure had an eye for talent, huh father?" Levios said happy that he was able to be the partner of someone with such potential. When he looked at his father however, he saw an immense amount of sadness evident in the serpent boss' eyes. Leviathan simply nodded and slithered away to the lake with his head down. Levios was confused but was broken from his musings at the sound of Naruto snoring. Chuckling, the serpent picked up the ninja with his tail and took him to the area that he was staying which was right by the lake.

* * *

(Nighttime)

Naruto sat beside the lake staring at the moon. He could feel the light from the moon ease the tension throughout his body. As Naruto continued to stare in silence at the source of his power, a strike of pain went through his head causing the blonde to grab his head tightly. Secretly, the flashes of pain had been going on for a couple of weeks now but Naruto couldn't figure out what it was. Naruto did know one place that he could get some answers. With a sigh, the swordsman stepped into the lake, swam to the center, and dived down to reach the Stone of Sanctity. He kept going until the summoning tattoo on his arm began to glow. Continuing to dive, the lack of oxygen began to get to Naruto as his lungs screamed for air. Despite the begging from his lungs, Naruto kept going until he reached his objective. The beautiful purple stone known as the Stone of Sanctity.

The moment Naruto grabbed the stone, his need for air vanished and he was no longer surrounded by water. All around him were different shades of many colors.

(Stone of Sanctity)

"Welcome back Naruto" spoke a familiar voice that caused Naruto to smile and turn his head towards the source. Sera stood smiling at her protege. Reaching her hand out, the blue haired swordsman pulled up her fellow swordsman to stand across from her. Her smile fell as she saw that Naruto's eyes were clouded with confusion. "What's up with you?" Sera asked.

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know. I've been having these flashes of head pain, like excruciatingly painful, and I can't figure out why. I was hoping I could maybe get some answers here" he said crossing his arms in concentration. "Also, something is off lately. Whenever I hold my sword, it just feels different than any other time I've used it" Naruto said frowning. When Naruto looked up, he saw that Sera was looking away from him. "Sera, do you know something about what's going on with me?" the blonde asked.

Sera turned to her former apprentice and nodded. "Your sword has mostly accepted you, but it's starting to reject you slightly. You've been ignoring certain events of your past and have just moved on with your life. While that is a good thing to do, you have been lying to yourself which is causing conflict within. That conflict is disrupting your ability to use your sword. You see Naruto, the swords that we use are very special because they are one of the few things in existence that have pure chakra flowing through them. To wield such a weapon, you have to accept who you are including everything that has happened in your past which is why I'm here" Sera said looking at Naruto.

Naruto tilted his head. "What do you mean Sera?" the blonde asked to which Sera stretched out her arm.

"I mean that it's time to move past me. You and I will fight right here, right now" Sera said as her sword appeared in her hand. A long silver and blue katana was raised by Sera as she waited on her blonde apprentice to summon his sword.

Naruto took a deep breath and summoned his sword to his hand. Sera stood with her sword in both hands while Naruto stood with his sword resting on his shoulder. The two swordsmen examined one another looking for any weak point before both smirked at the same time and dashed at one another. Naruto swung his sword downwards causing Sera to bring her's up to block the strike. Naruto pushed his sword eventually adding his second hand to help exert more force while Sera held him at bay. The blue haired woman smiled at his inability to gain any leverage and slid her blade away from his before launching a strike at Naruto's midsection. The blonde was barely able to dodge and suffered a small cut to his side as a result.

Jumping backwards, Naruto raised his sword and shouted "Hammer Slash" as he swung his blade down launching a series of chakra waves with the intent to slice his opponent to pieces. Sera shook her head at the action and started to run towards Naruto and the waves of chakra. Once Naruto's attack made contact, something happened that Naruto had never seen his master do before. Sera burst into water which gathered into ten separate locations. From the ten spots that the water was gathered, ten forms of Sera rose, each with their sword poised to attack. One of the forms in the middle stood with a smirk on her face.

"Well Naruto, it seems that you've still got a long way to go. Chakra Release: Ocean's Call" said the middle Sera summoning a massive tidal wave of water and sending it at Naruto. Meanwhile, the other nine forms of Sera swiped with their swords sending chakra waves that contained hundreds of sword strikes within the wave. As the wave sped forward, the chakra waves rode the tidal wave to strike the blonde swordsman who was gritting his teeth. Naruto rose his sword, faced the incoming attack, and shouted, "Chakra Release: Moonlight Residue". An immense amount of chakra flowed through the blonde as he gave a heavy swing of his sword separating the wave straight down the middle and disrupting his master's attack. While the wave kept going, Naruto dashed through the middle gap and jumped into the air. "Death Splicer" shouted Naruto as he swung his sword sending multiple chakra waves that flew towards each form of Sera.

Each form of Sera except for the middle one was turned into a puddle of water as a result of Naruto's attack. Sera examined the puddles of her allies and smiled. "Well done Naruto. But you still face a problem. How will you defeat me?" Sera asked looking directly at the blonde as she raised her arm with her sword in hand. "Divine Current" said the blue haired swordsman as water started to form into a vortex at her feet. It quickly rose in size until it reached five times Sera's height, completely enveloping her within. Once the vortex had finished growing, the top covered over in water and formed a sharp point. The pointed vortex dashed towards Naruto after forming with the intent of impaling and ending his life.

Gripping his sword tightly, Naruto faced the powerful water attack approaching him quickly. The blonde had not noticed but a pool of darkness had formed at his feet. The darkness rose along his body as the blonde rose his sword. As Sera's attack neared, Naruto said the name of the attack that would end their duel. "Final Calamity" Naruto said before a massive stream of darkness rose from the ground beneath him and flew towards his opponent.

The two attacks made contact. Naruto's attack caused Sera and her vortex to hit the collection of darkness and come to an almost complete stop. For a long moment, both Naruto and Sera refused to give any ground. The Lunar Soldier and the Aqua Knight's attacks pushed each other's fiercely, but the struggle came to an end as Naruto grit his teeth and began to walk forward. Each step that the blonde took forced his opponent back a little more. Sera tried to resist Naruto's attack as best as she could but eventually, the stronger attack won out. A flood of darkness flew over Sera, going through her body destroying every part of her chakra network while putting an immense amount of pressure on all of her limbs and organs.

As Sera lay on the ground, her existence fading, she couldn't help but smile. Her apprentice had finally become strong enough to be the eleventh legendary swordsman. She started to close her eyes and let her existence end until she felt a presence beside her. Forcing her eyes to stay open, she turned her head to look at her apprentice with a smile. The boy was a mess. He looked exhausted, he had bruises all along his body, he was panting heavily, and his eyes were unfocused. Just as Sera was ready to say something to break the ice, she was suddenly lifted into Naruto's arms as he hugged her. She hugged back as she heard the sounds of quiet sobbing coming from the boy that she had chosen to be her successor.

"Shh Naruto, it's okay. This is how things are supposed to be. It's time for both of us to move on" the blue haired woman said finding the strength to gently rub the boy's back. Naruto nodded at her words and slowly laid her on the ground. Sera once again smiled at her successor who was trying to wipe his eyes. With the last of her strength, Sera reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand and said, "I'm so proud of you" before her form faded into nothing. The Aqua Knight was no more.

Naruto stayed on his knees for a long ten minutes as he stared where he had just held his teacher. Killing her this time was far more painful than the first, mostly because he knew that he would never see her again. Her spirit would no longer be his companion. He would no longer be able to confess his problems to her because now, she was truly gone. Wiping his eyes one last time, Naruto finally found the strength to stand up. The blonde looked up to the nonexistent sky. "Sera, I make this promise to you and all the legendary swordsmen before me, I will make you proud and I will show that I am worthy to wield this power" said Naruto quietly.

"Don't make promises that you can't keep" said a voice from behind the blonde swordsman.

Naruto turned quickly with his sword in hand only to be shocked at what he saw. An exact replica of him stood nearby, the only difference was that his eyes were completely black. "Hello Naruto" the replica said walking forward. "I think it's about time that I introduce myself considering what is about to happen" said the replica.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the copy of him. "Who are you and why do you look like me?" Naruto asked gripping his sword tighter as the other Naruto smiled at the question.

"It's simple Naruto. I'm you. Or rather you will be me soon. For so long, you've allowed the jealousy, the bitterness, the neglect to fester within which gave birth to me. You've tried to contain me but I refuse to be kept inside. It's time for me to take over, it's my time to experience life. For you see I have my own goals Naruto, one of which includes paying back those who did us wrong for so long. Something that you are to cowardly to do" the dark Naruto said causing the real Naruto to growl.

"There's nothing cowardly about forgiveness. Sometimes it's best to just move on from the past. I live my life balancing my feelings and I've become stronger for it" Naruto said causing Dark Naruto to laugh.

"Balance eh? I'll let you in on a very little-known secret. Balance is the greatest form of perfection there is. People try to find balance between right and wrong, good and evil, and think that an even scale equals perfection. It's actually quite the opposite. For you see, balance is neither right or wrong, neither good or evil. Balance equals neutrality, and neutrality leads to hesitation. Hesitation makes you weak and we both know what happens to the weak in our world Naruto. No, the truth is that the ignorance of regular mortals makes them crave balance. It makes them crave imperfection. But there is hope Naruto. There are strong beings like your "enemy" Tsuranabi. He recognizes that balance is just another form of perfection so he has taken the route of evil in order to perfect himself and achieve his dream of a perfect world. Though his goal may be contradictory to his methods, he is at least among those who wish to perfect themselves" Dark Naruto said with a menacing grin.

Naruto shook his head at his counterpart's reasoning. "You're off your nut. Life is not black and white, perfection isn't possible whether you think so or not" Naruto said causing Dark Naruto's grin to fade.

Dark Naruto looked at the swordsman for a long moment before smiling again. "Perfection is very possible for those who are strong enough and willing enough to make the necessary sacrifices. And whether you like it or not Naruto, we will reach perfection. From now you will no longer be in control of our fates, it's my turn now" Dark Naruto said as he raised his hand forming a few black orbs around him. "Goodbye" Dark Naruto said as the orbs flew at Naruto.

The blonde raised his sword to defend himself but the orbs exploded a fair distance away from him. The last thing Naruto remembered was the voice of his dark self whispering, "Embrace your memories".

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open as light shined on his face. He looked around and immediately noticed that he was standing in the living room of his house. As he continued to look around, he stopped when he saw his younger self sitting on the couch silently while Menma and Narumi were telling their mother how strong they would be nearby. All three kids looked to be around five years old. The kids and Kushina's attention changed when the front door opened and in walked Minato. Naruto watched as a smile exploded onto his younger self's face as the kid ran to greet his father only to be pushed out of the way by his siblings who ran to hug their father. While the young Naruto picked himself up off of the floor, the rest of his family were engaged in a group hug, neither of his parents noticing the fact that their son had been pushed to the ground.

"How was Kumo?" Kushina asked Minato as she, Menma, and Narumi gave Minato space so that he could speak. Menma and Narumi listened intently, wanting to hear all about their father's cool ninja adventures.

Minato chuckled at his family's enthusiasm. "Kumo was fine. The Raikage should be coming to Konoha within the next two months to finalize the treaty. Anyway, enough about work. I just so happened to bring presents!" Minato said and immediately clutched at his ears when his children screamed "PRESENTS!". Taking out a sealing scroll, Minato ran his blood across the seal and out appeared two sets of flawless looking kunai. "Menma, Narumi, these were given to me for you directly from the Raikage himself. Now you'll have to wait until your training begins to use them but they are very valuable" the blond Hokage said as his son and daughter quickly grabbed the sets to admire them happily.

Minato smiled at his children's excitement and turned to his wife. "For you my dear, I got you this" Minato said as he fished inside his cloak. He pulled out a necklace with a beautiful purple gemstone for his red headed wife who immediately gave him a giant hug.

While the four smiled, Naruto approached his father and spoke up. "Do I get a gift as well father?" the small blonde asked causing his father's face to pale and gain a nervous look. Naruto looked away as he remembered the response that his father and mother gave him and waited for his younger self to receive the same hurt that he did so many years ago.

Minato scratched his head nervously. "I'm sorry Naruto, I forgot about your present. Don't worry though, I'll remember to get you something next time" the father said as he started to feel bad upon seeing the sad and disappointed look on his son's face.

Kushina stepped in to shift the attention away from her husband and hopefully remove the tension. "Naruto, let's stop badgering your father. He's probably very tired from his trip and he needs rest" she said gaining an appreciative look from her husband. "Besides Naruto, your training is still a long way off so you shouldn't even be thinking about your ninja career right now. Now, I've almost finished dinner so everyone get washed up and take your seats.

Naruto looked at his younger self and could feel the heartbreak and hurt that the little five year old felt. It hurt his heart to see any kid go through this, even if it was just him in an occurrence that happened years ago. Before any other thoughts could enter Naruto's mind, the memory changed.

* * *

The blonde swordsman looked around as he was now in the kitchen. It was dark outside and Minato and Kushina sat at the kitchen table. Naruto watched as his younger self walked into the kitchen with a book on chakra control in his hand. Naruto remembered this memory, it was the last time he ever asked for training from his parents before his return to Konoha. He was seven at the time he made his request. The blonde watched and waited for what he knew was yet another disappointment to occur.

"Um Mom, Dad?" the younger Naruto asked meekly.

Minato and Kushina looked at their son and sighed in annoyance and exhaustion. "What do you want Naruto?" Minato asked trying to dismiss his son as quickly as possible.

Young Naruto approached slowly and looked at the ground. "Um, I was hoping that you could help me with a few of these words in this book" young Naruto said quietly as his parents' eyes narrowed at him. Both his mother and his father looked at the book before Kushina quickly snatched the book away from her son.

"Where did you get this Naruto and why are you reading it?" Kushina asked with an angry tone causing her son to take a step back and rub his shoulder nervously.

"I just wanna be a strong ninja like you and I thought that if I could learn some ninja techniques, maybe I could be strong enough to join in training with Menma and Narumi" the little blonde said hopefully. The little kid thought that his parents would be proud of him for taking the initiative to learn more but they instead felt the opposite.

Kushina stood up with a scowl on her face. "We already told you that your training will begin when we say so. You do not have permission to go through our things just because you are to impatient. This is one of the reasons why we aren't training you Naruto. You're impatient and not mature enough to begin training yet. Maybe you should take notes on how Menma and Narumi act, you may learn something. Now go to your room and don't bring this up with us again" Kushina said harshly as the little boy turned around and walked with his shoulder sagging and tears starting to fall.

Naruto watched as his younger self walked away and once again felt the deep stabbing pain of neglect and despair that he felt so long ago. It hurt his heart once again as old memories were brought up that he thought he had gotten past. Just like before, his memory caused a deep pain within him before the memory changed.

* * *

Naruto examined his surroundings and noticed that he was in his room. It was pretty bare inside, no decorations, nothing that individualized the room as his. He looked at his younger self who was sitting on his bed quietly when Menma and Narumi burst into his room without even a single knock. Once again, Naruto immediately recognized the memory. It was the day after his tenth birthday, and it was in this very memory that lived the reason for him leaving Konoha.

Menma and Narumi stood in front of the young Naruto with sneers on their faces. "We told you that Mom and Dad hate you. You aren't even a part of this family anymore, you're just a pathetic nobody" Menma said with Narumi nodding. "Yeah loser, and pretty soon you'll be out on the streets because no one cares about you. Not Mom, not Dad, not Grandma Tsunade or Grandpa Jiraiya. Not even Kakashi cares about you because you are a loser. I bet that we could end you right now and no one would even ask why. You could die and no one would even care" said Narumi.

Naruto watched, clenching his fists as he saw evidence of his siblings' hatred towards him. He never did find out what specifically caused his siblings' hatred of him but honestly, he didn't care. Now, Menma and Narumi were enemies of Konoha and enemies of him.

Thinking about the memories he had been shown up to now made Naruto angry, but he calmed himself as he thought of the good memories that had turned him into a fearsome ninja. Yakumo showed him real affection, Sasuke showed him real friendship, Itachi showed him real instruction, and Sera showed him the care of a family. With his resolve in tact, Naruto broke out of his memories.

* * *

Naruto's eyes sprang open just in time to see his dark self standing over him and in the process of bringing Naruto's sword down upon him. On pure reflex alone, Naruto raised his arm in defense. In his hand appeared his trident that he used when he entered sage mode. The golden trident blocked the sword in Dark Naruto's hand. Dark Naruto frowned at the resistance and pushed harder only to begin to be pushed back.

Naruto slowly but steadily rose as he pushed against the sword that belonged to him and before was standing at eye level with his dark self. "My past may not have been favorable to me, but I prefer to focus on the present. I focus on the ones who give me strength, something that I don't think you really understand. Allow me to demonstrate" Naruto said before giving a strong push with his trident knocking Dark Naruto back a few feet. Before Dark Naruto could shake off being thrown, Naruto had summoned a fair amount of water from the air around him until it formed a wave behind him. Reaching his arm behind him, Naruto forced lightning chakra into the wave and shouted "Voltage Wave" before sending it rushing towards Dark Naruto. As the attack went, a vision of his mentor Sera popped into his mind.

The attack soaked the other Naruto and gave him quite a few shocks as well. Before Dark Naruto could get situated, Naruto shouted "Electromagnetic Field" as electricity surged along the ground electrocuting his dark self. The image of his best friend Sasuke appeared into his mind with the attack. Just as Naruto prepared for another attack, he had to quickly dodge as Dark Naruto appeared behind him and swung his sword. The dark form was drenched and twitching. Yelling in anger, Dark Naruto continued after Naruto, swinging sword slash after sword slash. Naruto blocked each one with a little bit of difficulty but blocked them all the same. Once again, the blade and trident came to a standstill as Naruto and Dark Naruto pushed against one another, each one trying to gain any leverage they could.

"Why do you get to live huh? Why can't I give it a shot in the real world? What's so wrong with wanting to live?" Dark Naruto screamed out causing Naruto to frown. "It's not your desire to live that's wrong, it's your desires of vengeance and hatred that are wrong" Naruto responded causing Dark Naruto to growl and separate before yelling out, "Ending Void". A large pulsing mass of dark energy formed in front of a smiling Dark Naruto. "This is the end of you and the beginning of me" Dark Naruto said before launching the attack at Naruto.

Naruto stared down the attack with a frown and stabbed his trident into the ground. Reaching out his arm, he focused hard. After a second of heavy focus, his sword removed itself from Dark Naruto's grip and appeared in Naruto's empty hand. Once the blonde took hold of his sword, he swung a strong strike forward to meet Dark Naruto's attack. A wave of chakra met the dark mass of energy and the two struggled for dominance for a long moment before ultimately destroying each other. The explosion of the two attacks knocked both Naruto and Dark Naruto backwards more than a few feet.

After a few seconds on the ground, Naruto shakily stood up with a throbbing head and a ringing in his ears. He noticed that Dark Naruto was getting up as well and knew that it was time to finish this. Going through a few quick handsigns, Naruto shakily said "Lightning Prison". When Naruto finished speaking, a multitude of tiny lightning bolts surrounded Dark Naruto much like his girlfriend's "Porcupine's Prison". An image of Yakumo flowed through his mind as he silently thanked his girlfriend for the power that she gave him. Making one final handsign, Naruto watched as each lightning bolt simultaneously plunged into the dark figure. One by one, each one inflicting more pain than the last, went through Dark Naruto's body. It took a total of two minutes before the attack graciously ended for Dark Naruto.

Dark Naruto looked up, still standing but panting heavily. "If you think that pathetic attempt of an attack was enough to beat me, you're in for a surprise" Dark Naruto said and tried to take a step forward but found himself unable to move. He looked forward to see his opponent giving a small grin.

"It wasn't meant to end you, but this will" Naruto said before forming one final attack in his hand. Slowly but surely, he formed his own special rasengan as he started to run at Dark Naruto. As he approached Dark Naruto, an image of his father flashed through his mind before he slammed his rasengan into Dark Naruto shouting, "TEMPEST RASENGAN".

When the attack died down, everything was quiet. For a long time, neither Naruto nor Dark Naruto moved. Eventually, Dark Naruto weakly walked just past Naruto before stopping and looking up with a sad smile on his face. "All I really wanted was a chance to experience what real life is like. What it's like to feel the wind in my hair, what it's like to swim in real water, to experience what nature is like." Dark Naruto sighed in disappointment. "Guess it was a foolish dream" he said before looking at Naruto. "Word of advice, sometimes it's okay to take things personally. Whether you like it or not, you've got some repressed feelings up there that you're gonna have to come to terms with sooner or later. You've got a long and tough journey ahead of you, but I'm sure you'll do fine. You are the Lunar Soldier after all" Dark Naruto said with a smile before dissipating into nothing but dust.

Naruto watched as his darker self ceased to exist with conflicted feelings. On the one hand, he was glad that he was gone because he was still angry over what he tried to pull. On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel bad for the being. Such a menial dream that was never to be realized caused him a bit of sadness.

Naruto slowly sat down, breathing heavily and feeling exhausted. Looking up at the sky, he quietly said "I'm coming home".

* * *

(Shinigami's Blade Base)

Tsuranabi sat in his chair as Sashira entered his office.

"Have you found the body?" asked the leader of the Shinigami's Blade.

Sashira quickly nodded. "I found the body with the seal still in tact."

Tsuranabi smiled at the information and started to chuckle. "Good, good. Soon we shall see what is stronger. A serpent or a dragon" Tsuranabi said before chuckling again.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, once again sorry it took so long. I tried out a new style and tried to space things out in order to limit confusion within the text so let me know if I should go back to the old way or keep it like this. Anyway, as always thanks for all of the support and I hope to get the next chapter out to you all as soon as possible. Until next time.


	34. A Burden to Share

PinkiePieParty122894: It seems that I can always rely on you for a feel good review. I appreciate the continued support and hope that you like this chapter.

Animaman: I think that Naruto will have a couple of talks with his parents later on, and Tsunade and Kakashi will realize what they have missed out on. Very soon, a certain incident (I'm sure you know what it will be) will cause Minato and Kushina to look back at how they raised Menma and Narumi and where they went wrong. This will also kind of add on to the guilt they feel for neglecting Naruto. Appreciate the continued reviews and comments.

1995hzq: Thanks for your patience. I'm a huge fan of Minato and Kushina so I rarely like stories where they stay dark. I may have made mistakes in writing their relationship with Naruto and how fast he forgave them, but it is what it is. Glad that you liked the training.

pyoson123: If I remember correctly, Naruto was in the village for over a month before he forgave them but I expand on it this chapter. The reason he couldn't kill all of the thugs in Wave is because he was weakened a lot by his earlier battle with Iliel. The reason he doesn't use jutsu early on is simply because he doesn't know many jutsu. His parents nor Sera taught him ninjutsu or genjutsu before Wave so that's a big reason why he didn't kill the thugs with chakra. Sorry that you think it's dumb.

* * *

(Gates of Konoha)

Naruto stood in front of his village with a smile on his face. After months of training, he had finally returned home. Soon he would be able to reconnect with Yakumo, Sasuke, Itachi, Konan, and his parents. Naruto frowned at the thought of his mother and father. His training trip had opened his eyes and he had come to a very important revelation.

Shaking his head, Naruto got rid of the negative thoughts in his head and walked forward. He smiled as he walked past the two guards Kotetsu and Izumo who were too busy arguing over something menial to notice the blonde. As he walked the streets of Konoha, Naruto closed his eyes to focus on the chakra signature of his girlfriend. He sensed her location at Team 11's training ground and noticed that Sasuke, Konan, Itachi, and a few other familiar chakra signatures were with the genjutsu prodigy.

With the location in mind, Naruto took off quickly, heading for Team 11's training ground.

* * *

(Team 11 Training Ground)

Yakumo sat with Sakura and Hinata as they talked about current events and gossiped among each other.

"So when is Naruto coming back Yakumo?" asked Sakura causing the brown haired girl to frown slightly.

"I don't know. He hasn't sent me any letters in over a month and I'm starting to get worried" the brunette said looking down.

Hinata and Sakura looked at each other with frowns of their own. "Listen Yakumo, I'm sure he'll be back in no time. And when he comes back, you can show him how much stronger you've gotten. I'm sure he'll be impressed" Sakura said causing Yakumo to smile again and nod her head.

"You know, I would like to know how strong you are babe" said a voice that caused Yakumo to go stiff as a board and her eyes to widen greatly. Turning around slowly, she was met with the sight of her boyfriend and started to drool slightly. Naruto had grown slightly taller, his face looked more mature,and his muscles were very defined. He wore a black sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles and his summoning tattoo and black ANBU pants.

Naruto grinned as he noticed his girlfriend beginning to stare. "Well, I take it you like what you see" said Naruto with a smirk. His comment caused Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata to blush before Yakumo hit her boyfriend over the head. She immediately followed up the attack with a tight hug. Naruto held onto his girlfriend and hugged her back while she tightened her grip. Looking over Yakumo at the other two girls, he greeted the two with a smile. "Hey Sakura, Hinata" the blonde said causing both to smile and wave.

The blonde chunin was about to further his greeting when out of nowhere, a shuriken came flying quickly in his direction. Naruto chuckled and caught the shuriken with two fingers just before it reached his face.

Without turning around, Naruto smirked and said, "Nice to see you again Sasuke." With the announcement of his presence, the Sasuke followed by his brother, Konan, and the rest of the of their generation including the senseis walked out of a nearby treeline and approached the blonde. As everyone came together on the training ground, Naruto was able to gently pry Yakumo off him and examine his other teammate. The Uchiha had grown slightly taller but he had grown immensely taller, Naruto could sense it.

Walking to his teammate, Naruto held out his hand to Sasuke who smiled and shook the hand. "I see that you've gotten stronger Sasuke" Naruto said causing the Uchiha to smirk in confidence of his abilities.

"Well Naruto, I couldn't let you be the only one who got better. I bet that I could beat you now" Sasuke said causing Naruto to chuckle.

Naruto shook his head at Sasuke's declaration. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, have you been taking gambling tips from Tsunade? I would like to see how strong you have gotten though. How about a spar, right here right now" the blonde said.

Sasuke grinned widely at the idea. "I'm all for it, but you'll probably need help. Yakumo, you in?" Sasuke asked causing a tick mark to form on Yakumo's head at the insinuation that her boyfriend couldn't handle Sasuke in a spar.

Yakumo shook her head. "That's okay duck butt, I'm sure that Naruto can handle you alone" she said causing Sasuke to grow a tick mark of his own and everyone but Itachi to laugh. Itachi still didn't get the joke and his blue haired girlfriend just patted him on the back while she chuckled.

"I want in, I wanna face the two of you. Me and Akamaru can take you" Kiba said stepping forward followed by the rest of his generation. He frowned however when he was stopped by the hand of his sensei while the others were stopped by their senseis.

Kurenai looked at the group of genin near her and shook her head. "Listen Kiba, your desire to get stronger is well noted but you need to learn to pick your battles" the female jounin said getting nods from Asuma and Guy. "It's true my youthful team. Sometimes, the most youthful thing you can do is admit when a battle is outside of your abilities" Guy commented.

Asuma took a drag of his cigarette before responding to his own team. "What they said. Besides, I want to see a battle between the "Kage Killers". Plus, the three of you could learn from it" Asuma said before blowing out smoke from his mouth.

Naruto and Sasuke smiled that they wouldn't have to share their battle with anyone else before entering their battle stances.

"I hope you've gotten stronger Naruto because I sure as hell have" Sasuke said before a large mass of chakra exploded from the Uchiha. The amount of chakra exuded caused everyone but Naruto's jaw to drop. From the reaction of those present, Sasuke had kept his abilities a secret and had saved them for this battle.

Naruto smirked before releasing his own chakra to the point that it matched Sasuke's. In his blue eyes were the occasional sparks of electricity.

When the two were finished unleashing their chakra, Naruto and Sasuke dashed towards each other, nothing but blurs to the untrained eye. Naruto landed the first hit with a punch to Sasuke's face, but the Uchiha quickly recovered just in time to dodge a follow up punch from his blonde teammate and land a kick to the boy's chest pushing him back. Sasuke jumped backwards and did a quick series of handsigns before shouting "Dragon Flame Jutsu", spewing a stream of fire towards the blonde. Naruto did a series of handsigns himself and shouted, "Water Wall Jutsu" before spewing a great stream of water from his mouth that formed a wall just in time to block Sasuke's attack.

Sasuke was panting slightly as he waited for the steam that was created from the mixture of his and Naruto's attack to clear. As he was about to take a step forward, a black tar substance took hold of his legs stopping him from moving. Sasuke tried struggling against the new bonds but it was futile. His attention quickly shifted though when he noticed a figure walking towards him through the steam. As the figure neared closer and into his vision, Sasuke smirked at what he saw. Naruto stood in front of him with his skin red and slightly burned, scorch marks on his pants, and half of his shirt burned off.

"Nice move but it just wasn't enough" Naruto said with a grin as he looked into his teammate's eyes. Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's statement causing the blonde to frown. "And you broke the number one rule of fighting an Uchiha" Sasuke said before his eyes morphed into that of the Mangekyo sharingan. "Tsukuyomi" whispered the Uchiha as the world around the two chunin morphed into a new reality.

(Tsukuyomi World)

The sky turned blood red and before the blonde could react, Naruto was lying on the black ground unable to move. Naruto struggled as best he could to get up off the ground but some sort of force refused to let him stand.

The sound of footsteps nearby caused Naruto'e eyes to look up. Walking towards him was Sasuke who had a smug grin on his face. The Uchiha stopped in front of the blonde and chuckled. "I hope you like my new jutsu. It's considered one of the strongest Uchiha jutsu there is. As a matter of fact, not a single Uchiha has ever been able to use the Tsukuyomi to its fullest potential, something I plan to change one day" Sasuke said before slamming his foot down on Naruto's leg, shattering the boy's knee. Naruto yelled out in pain at his friend's action before growling. Sasuke smiled at Naruto's reaction. "You see Naruto, I knew that you would come back far stronger so I pushed myself harder than ever before along with help from an unlikely source. With the power I received, I am finally able to stand as your equal" he said before a katana appeared in his hand which he stabbed into Naruto's chest.

Naruto gasped in pain as he felt the cut. He tasted the blood that was already making its way to his mouth. The pain was almost too much to bear since unknown to Naruto, the pain of his injuries were intensified exponentially by Sasuke. Just as Naruto was about to make a comment towards Sasuke, he looked up to see ten katana flying from the blood red sky, each of which slammed into his body. Two landed in his shoulders, two in his legs, two in his hands, two in his feet, and two in his chest. Naruto screamed in pain once again as he begged for the mercy of passing out from the pain. Unfortunately, Sasuke was in control of Naruto's state of consciousness. Blood was flowing from Naruto's mouth and his breath became labored. Closing his eyes, Naruto could think of only one way to escape Sasuke's hellish genjutsu. The blonde began to focus quickly.

Sasuke looked at his friend who was no longer moving. Naruto was still breathing, but he was not struggling to move any more. Kneeling down to observe his teammate, a sharp pain suddenly formed in his eyes. Grabbing at them, he yelled out and lost focus for a moment. That moment was all it took for Naruto. The blonde's eyes flew open as he shouted "Lunar Expulsion". A powerful surge of dark chakra pulsed out of his body sending the katana out of his body and disrupting Sasuke's genjutsu with every pulse of dark chakra. In a matter of twenty seconds, pieces of the red sky above started to break off along with the rest of the jutsu while Sasuke continued to hold his eyes in pain. It didn't take long for the genjutsu to fall completely.

(Real World)

Naruto blinked multiple times as he panted, his body begging for as much air as possible. His body hurt immensely and he was exhausted. Looking around, Naruto noticed that the mist from the clash of his and Sasuke's water and fire jutsu was still present meaning that hardly any time had passed. His gaze eventually found its way to his teammate who stood from his kneeling position shakily. The Uchiha's eyes were back to normal but small lines of blood ran from his eyes. Concerned for his friend, Naruto quickly asked, "Are you okay Sasuke?" to which Sasuke nodded.

Sasuke wiped his eyes as he stood straight. "You really did get a lot stronger. Naruto, I need you to promise me to keep my eyes a secret. I don't want anyone knowing about them, not even Itachi knows" Sasuke said to which Naruto narrowed his eyes at first before nodding. "Now Naruto, what's say you to one last jutsu. Winner take all" Sasuke said with a smirk already knowing his best friend's answer. His smirk turned into a full fledged smile when Naruto smirked with his signature confident look. Sasuke jumped backwards, creating a fair amount of distance between the two in order to have room for his jutsu. Holding his hand forward, Sasuke said "Emperor's Ember" as a small blue flame formed. The flame quickly grew larger and more intense, so much so that the ground beneath him was starting to heat up. When the flame finished forming into a fireball that was half the size of Sasuke himself, he sent the blue flame flying towards Naruto.

As soon as Sasuke had started to form his jutsu, Naruto started to form the jutsu he had created during his time with the serpents. The Tempest Rasenshuriken. Forming the rasenshuriken quickly, he added the electricity and put the finishing touches until the attack was able to sustain itself. Sparks of lightning flew from the attack as it remained in Naruto's hand. Naruto held the attack until he saw Sasuke send what seemed to be a very powerful and destructive jutsu his way. Digging his foot in the ground, Naruto threw his attack with all his might shouting "TEMPEST RASENSHURIKEN", sending the rasenshuriken on a collision course with his adversary's attack.

(Spectators of the battle)

It took a minute for the mist to clear that was the result of Naruto and Sasuke's jutsu colliding. When it did, each of the onlookers jaws dropped. Sasuke and Naruto were facing each other head on, each one with a jutsu of immense power in their hands. They watched as both attacks flew towards one another and quickly met. The collision between the two was earth shattering to say the least. The ground started to tremble and dust from the ground started to fly as Naruto's electric attack and Sasuke's fire attack fought for leverage. Each of the spectators could feel the chakra being put off by the attacks. The amount was unreal, especially considering that they were the attacks of chunin.

After a minute of standstill pushing, both jutsu seemed to implode on one another sending everyone in the area backwards. Each of the audience were on the ground for a short moment before slowly getting up to see the result of the battle. What they saw was a shock to everyone there. Both boys had burn marks and were panting heavily. The ground beneath them was charred. What once was a green meadow was now nothing but ashy ground. Naruto and Sasuke stood weakly for a long moment before the Uchiha fell to the ground face first while Naruto fell to one knee. After getting over the shock of what they had just seen, Yakumo and Itachi rushed to Naruto and Sasuke, picking them up and rushing them to the hospital.

(Konoha Hospital Three Hours Later)

Naruto was in his hospital bed trying to let his muscles relax. He had just woke up a few minutes earlier and received a major tongue lashing from Tsunade herself for disregarding her orders not to exhaust his chakra. He was able to find out from Tsunade that he would be able to leave in two days, the same diagnosis that had been given to Sasuke. Sighing, Naruto looked up at the ceiling feeling bored. The feeling didn't last long however as his door was slammed open causing him to nearly jump out of his bed. A red blur tackled him in his bed as his father entered immediately after.

Kushina was holding onto her son tightly. He had been injured much worse in the past, but it still hurt her every time she saw her child in a hospital bed. Sniffling and barely keeping the tears at bay, she let go of her son only to glare at him. "Naruto Uzumaki, why didn't you let me know that you were back? I have been so worried and I haven't seen my baby in three months. Do you know how much I've missed you? You should have come to see me but noooo, you just had to start a fight" Kushina said pouting which gained a chuckle from Minato who was standing behind his wife.

Deep down, Minato was in shock at his son and Sasuke's progress. When Naruto and Sasuke's final attacks had met, the entire village felt the intensity and power of the two chunin. He had never seen two ninja as young as them wield such power. Shaking his head, Minato cleared those thoughts and smiled as his wife doted on their son. His smile quickly dropped however when he noticed that Naruto was frowning.

Naruto ended his mother's lecture when he removed her from him causing Kushina to stop talking. "Mom, Dad, I have something say" he said causing a bad feeling to begin to stir in both parents' stomachs. "Since I returned to the village, I have fooled myself. During my training in the serpent realm, I was able to witness the consequences of doing so. I convinced myself that I had forgiven you two for all those years of neglect, but the truth is that I just buried and ignored those feelings in order to get stronger. I thought that I had risen above the negative feelings, but it was just the opposite. I'm sorry that I've led you both on for this long but for now, we cannot have the type of familial relationship that we have had since I returned. I still love you both, but I need time to really forgive you" Naruto said looking down, unwilling to meet his parents eyes.

Minato stared at his son in shock while his wife sobbed at Naruto's confession. Deep down, he knew that this was something Naruto needed to do in order to not only grow as a ninja but as a person as well. It was the same as when he was a child. He had been so angry at his parents for leaving him alone in the world, but he eventually rose above his anger and began his journey to becoming one of the strongest ninja in Konoha history. This knowledge did nothing to ease the deep pain that he felt in his heart however. He looked at his wife who already looked a mess. She looked broken and her eyes conveyed that heartbreak. Minato knew that Kushina was taking it the hardest because of who she was. She was an Uzumaki, so knowing that she had pushed her son away to this extent was a pain like no other. The blonde Hokage looked down as a few tears fell from his face. He truly had failed as a father. The child he neglected for so long was unable to forgive them and the children that he had raised to the best of his abilities were now enemies of Konoha.

The blonde chunin looked sadly at his parents but he knew that this was something that he had to do. His experience with his darker self had made him realize that. His heart still broke a little at the sight of his parents in such emotional distress because of him. "Listen, I just need some time to figure out some things. You two are still my parents and I still love you, I just have a lot to figure out. It's hard to disregard all the years of neglect, all the years of witnessing the favoritism shown towards Menma and Narumi. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't disregard it any longer. I understand if you're angry at me" he said but was interrupted by his mother once again tackling him.

"Don't you say that Naruto. If anyone should be angry, it's you. I'm so so sorry that I put you through so much pain. I failed you as a mother but I will win your trust back, I swear on my name as an Uzumaki" she said as she tried to stop the tears from rolling down her face but they just wouldn't stop. Naruto looked away for a moment as tears had started to form in his eyes but he quickly wiped them away.

Minato approached his son. "I also failed you Naruto. I wish that things were truly okay with us, but I understand and I'm sorry that I caused you to feel like this. I swear that we will regain your trust" he said before joining Kushina in hugging their son. All three of the Uzumaki-Namikazes cried quietly as they hugged like a family. Naruto knew that the path ahead would require more than just heartfelt apologies, but his parents were off to a good start as he could feel the amount of love they had for him.

(Later that night)

Kushina and Minato had reluctantly left Naruto's room in order to let him rest. Shortly after, he received visits from Yakumo who went into a long lecture with a special appearance from her demon Ido before she attacked him with a series of long kisses that left both red faced for a while. He also received visits from Itachi, Konan, and all of those who were there to bear witness to the spar between the "Kage Killers". Most of the visitors asked for lessons or sparring opportunities which Naruto eventually gave into. Eventually, everyone had to leave on account of Tsunade's orders for him to get some rest.

Naruto turned in his bed as he slept. A vivid dream played in his mind disrupting it from getting a proper rest.

(Naruto's Dream)

Naruto looked around at his surroundings. He stood in a quaint house as he looked at two people standing in what seemed to be the kitchen. One was a grown woman with long black hair and pale skin, the other was a little girl who had long black hair as well but her skin was a tint darker than what he guessed to be her mother's. Walking forward, he quickly made the assumption that he was unable to be seen by the two. Naruto walked into the kitchen and listened to the conversation that the two were having.

"I said no Aiko" the adult woman said sternly, not looking up from whatever she was cooking.

The little girl pouted at the woman's answer. "But Mom, I just wanna play outside for a little bit. Pleaseee" the girl now known as Aiko whined. She tugged on her mother's apron until her mother turned away from her cooking to face her daughter.

"Aiko, I have to cook dinner and I've said a hundred times that I have to be with you when you go out to play" the mother said before kneeling down to Aiko's level. "Listen Aiko, I know that you think that I'm being mean, but I just want you to be safe. I love you too much to risk anything happening to you" the mother said as she caressed her daughter's cheek.

Aiko looked down at the ground before looking back up and into her mother's eyes. "But Mom, Old man Sao said that nothing bad ever happens here. If nothing bad happens here, then why can't I play? Just for a little bit, I promise that I'll be good Mom" pleaded the little girl with the cutest form of puppy eyes.

Aiko's mother smiled at her daughter. Her little girl was too cute for her own good. It had taken years for her to grow immune to her daughter's puppy dog eyes. Taking Aiko in her arms, she held the girl tightly. "I know the village's history but no matter how safe somewhere is, I'll never stop worrying about my little girl. That's what a mother is supposed to do after all" she said as Aiko's face started to turn red from both embarrassment and at being called little.

"I'm not little, I'm just still growing" said Aiko pouting before she turned and walked upstairs to her room causing her mother to sigh and go back to cooking.

Naruto watched the conversation play out and looked on as the girl known as Aiko walked right past him without even noticing him. Something within him told him to follow the girl so he did. When he entered the room, he saw Aiko sitting on the ledge of her window swinging her legs. The girl sighed but smiled as the sun shined on her. The last thing Naruto saw of Aiko was her practically glowing in the light of the sun.

(Real World)

Naruto sat up breathing a little harder than normal. He was confused at what he had just seen but shook it off as just an odd dream. Slowly getting out of bed, Naruto exited the window of the hospital before using his chakra to walk up the side until he reached the roof. Taking a seat on the edge, he stared at the moon. His source of power, an object of beauty in his eyes. He felt the moon begin to heal him as he closed his eyes.

"It's a beautiful night isn't it?" said an unknown voice causing Naruto to open his eyes quickly and jump up. In his battle stance, Naruto examined the one who had sneaked up on him. A black haired man with a royal hairstyle and a thin golden headband sat on the edge of the roof. The man smiled at Naruto and patted the area beside him before looking up at the moon. Naruto narrowed his eyes but took a seat at a distance beside the man.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked with a suspicious tone causing the man to look at him.

The man smiled at the question. "My name is Tenji and I am the man responsible for the weapon that you wield" he said causing the blonde's eyes to widen. "Long ago, I had a dream. A dream for peace among nations, peace among everyone. I was willing to do whatever it took to achieve that peace. Then one day, I came across an angel. A woman who I would quickly fall in love with. She too shared my desire for peace. Every night, we would look at the moon and the stars while we discussed how we would achieve our goal and what we would do once we had achieved it. The two of us planned on having a family and showering our children with love while we spent every day with one another for the rest of our lives, but I ruined that future" Tenji said looking down sadly.

"One night, a rival kingdom sent soldiers after her and she defended herself. She killed the soldiers and the rival kingdom threatened war as retaliation for her actions. I was so angry, I felt betrayed. She knew my desire for peace and I had thought that she felt the same but I was young and stupid. I let my temper get the best of me and I chased her in order to bring her to justice. Not once did I consider that the rival kingdom simply wanted war in the first place. I threw away the love I held for my dear Kaguya because of my own selfish ambitions" the man said as he looked back up at the moon.

With a sigh, Tenji continued his story. "The chase eventually forced her to what was known as the God Tree. She took one of the fruit from the tree and from it, chakra was born. My men and I caught up to her shortly after and it was then that I realized what I had done. As she massacred my men without mercy, I saw that I had created a monster. In desperation, I took one of the fruit but was only able to eat half of it before she set her sights on me. The two of us fought and at one point, I gained the upper hand. I had the opportunity to kill her, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to harm my Kaguya any more than I already had so I accepted what was just and let her kill me. When I fell, my sword landed beside the half eaten fruit. The fruit transferred its power into the sword, a sword that has changed shape and wielder over time. The sword that you wield now" he said making Naruto's eyes widen even further.

"Within your sword lies the purest form of chakra. Pure chakra is far stronger than regular chakra and is nearly extinct. I have watched recent events unfold and I tell you now that only the man known as Tsuranabi and you utilize the power of pure chakra" Tenji said before looking Naruto straight in the eyes. "You have a great burden on your shoulders Naruto Uzumaki, but I give you this crucial piece of advice. A burden is always easier to bear when you have someone to share it with you" Tenji said before he began to vanish.

Naruto had a confused look on his face as he thought about what Tenji had just said when he noticed that the man was fading away. "Wait, what does that mean?" he asked but received no answer as Tenji faded out of existence without a word. Looking back at the moon, Naruto shook his head. "Damn spirits and their vague messages" the blonde said before leaving the roof and returning quietly to his hospital room.

* * *

(Hokage's Office Three Days Later)

The Fourth Hokage sat in his chair with his hands folded examining the ninja before him. In front of him stood, Naruto, Sasuke, Yakumo, Sakura, Hinata, Itachi, Konan, and Kakashi. Sitting up, Minato addressed his subordinates. "Firstly, I wold like to know if each of you are healthy enough to perform missions" he said before getting a nod from each of the ninja. "Good. The Leaf has received two high profile mission requests that I will assign you now. Yakumo Kurama, Sakura Haruno, Hinata Hyuga, and Konan, you four will be tasked with an escort mission" he said causing Yakumo's eyes to narrow since her last escort mission wasn't an especially fond memory.

"The four of you will be charged with the duty of protecting and escorting the actress known as Yukie Fugikaze to a shoot for her latest movie" he said before letting a small smile show at the reaction of the three girls. Each one had stars in their eyes and were practically squealing. "Konan has all of the information on the mission details so if you have any questions, she will be able to answer them. You four are dismissed" Minato said getting nods from each kunoitchi left, Yakumo leaving after giving Naruto a kiss on the cheek which left the boy a little red.

Once the four kunoitchi had left, Minato's face turned deadly serious. "I'm afraid that your mission will not be as laid back. A critical situation has arisen in the Land of Demons. A fool by the name of Yomi has allowed himself to be possessed by the demon known as Moryo which has raised what is known as the Stone Army as a result of Moryo's return to this plain. The Stone Army is an army of immortal stone warriors that follow the command of Moryo himself. We believe that Yomi will go to the shrine where Moryo's physical body is kept in order to fully revive the demon. If that happens, there is a good chance that the elemental nations will fall. Our hope rests in the hands of a young priestess by the name of Shion who resides in the Land of Demons. She alone has the power necessary to seal Moryo which is why the four of you must quickly go to the Land of Demons and escort her to the shrine that holds Moryo. There, she will seal the demon and end the threat he presents. This mission is of the utmost importance and you must not fail" he said getting a nod from the four. "You are dismissed" Minato said before they quickly left his office.

Once he was alone, Minato stood up and turned to face the village. The threat to the elemental nations was real, but he believed in the ninja he had chosen. He knew that no matter what, those four would never stop fighting, and that was the definition of the Will of Fire. And as long as the Will of Fire still burned, Konoha would never fall.

* * *

(Outside Shinigami's Blade Base)

Jiraiya stood in front of a large dark building. Ma and Pa had left him a short moment ago after telling him that Menma and Narumi's track led here. Before they left, the two old toads wished him luck. Jiraiya looked at the building for a long while. Never before in his life had the former Toad Sage felt so alone. He knew that no one really cared about his fate and he also knew that he could very well die from the inevitable battle that was going to occur. Shaking his head, the Sannin forced his feelings of self pity and sadness away and replaced them with determination to right his wrongs and rescue his godchildren. Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya walked forward.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, once again sorry for the late update. I want you all to know that I am still fully committed to this story. Now about the Yukie story line, I know that a few of you are probably wondering how I plan to do it without Naruto being a part of it. All I can say is don't fret, I have a plan on how I'm doing it. Anyways, I hope that you liked the chapter and thanks for all of the support.


	35. Sins of a Sannin

UnsanMusho: I guess you will see this chapter.

PinkiePieParty122894: Glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you like this one.

1995hzq: Good to be back and I'm glad you liked Naruto and Sasuke's battle as well as Naruto's moment with his parents. You will see what happens to Jiraiya this chapter, as for the twins, I'm still deciding what to do with them in terms of learning a lesson or not.

DxGRAYxMAN: So it would seem since the level of the Shinigami's Blade compared to Jiraiya is pretty much all the way in the Shinigami's Blade's favor.

Guest: Glad that you liked the reunion. As for the children of prophecy, I can't tell who it is. It could still be Menma and Narumi but who knows. You will see what happens to Jiraiya this chapter so I can't say anything about reaction in terms of him just yet. I plan on showing Orochimaru and Tsunade hanging out and spending time together as friends later on. I'm still deciding on what to do with Kakashi and where to bring him in as a major character. I'll have to think about the increase in Naruto and Yakumo's relationship.

Zabzab: Ouch, not gonna lie that review kinda stung a bit, but I will try to address it as best I can. I rushed it in the beginning for a couple of reasons that I won't get into but I would like to think that it's gotten better as it has progressed and I have tried to fill in the plot holes as best I can. It's a learning curve kind of so I'm sorry that you didn't like it but I think that there is a story. It has flaws with that I'll agree, but I don't think it's just a storyboard. I respect your opinion but I respectfully disagree. Best of luck to ya.

* * *

(Outside Shinigami's Blade Base)

Jiraiya stood in front of his destination. He didn't know exactly where he was but with the final assistance of Ma and Pa, the Toad Sannin had tracked Menma and Narumi down to where he was now. The white haired man took a deep breath before he walked forwards into the proverbial lion's den.

(Shinigami's Blade Base)

The Toad Sannin walked through a dark hallway feeling cold and for the first time in a long time, scared. As it became harder and harder to see, Jiraiya began to extend his senses and feel out where exactly his godchildren were. As he walked on, the man stayed cautious, knowing that he could be attacked by some very dangerous individuals at any time. While he pushed onward, his mind began to wander to memories that he had not thought about in a very long time.

 _Flashback_

Jiraiya was on cloud nine as he went to visit his sensei. The reason for his wonderful mood, he had just been told that he was going to be a godfather to triplets. What made the news even better was that he had received an outline of a prophecy given to him from the Great Toad Sage himself just before meeting up with Minato to hear the good news. He knew that it couldn't be coincidence which meant that the birth of his apprentice's children would eventually usher in peace to the elemental nations. It was a goal that was near and dear to Jiraiya's heart and being so close to it just made him want it more.

Reaching the house of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he let himself in. Sneaking quietly through the house, Jiraiya made his way silently into Hiruzen's study where he knew his teacher would be.

Hiruzen was sitting with his back turned and working on his calligraphy when the Toad Sannin entered the room. Just as Jiraiya was ready to announce himself and scare the living daylights out of his master, Hiruzen spoke up. "Hello Jiraiya" the old man said without removing himself from his work.

Jiraiya frowned at not being able to catch his sensei off guard but his smile quickly returned. "Hey sensei. I've got some incredible news" Jiraiya said barely able to keep the news of Kushina's pregnancy from flying out of his mouth.

The Third Hokage turned away from his work and looked at Jiraiya. "I take it you have learned of your apprentice's imminent role in fatherhood" he said and chuckled at Jiraiya's shocked look. "Tsunade told me about Kushina's pregnancy since she was there to give the examination" Hiruzen explained which gained a nod from Jiraiya.

Jiraiya nodded at his sensei's perfect guess. "Yeah that was the major thing, but I've got some more news to add to that. I haven't even told Minato yet" Jiraiya said getting a serious look from his teacher since he knew that Jiraiya trusted Minato above anyone else. "I just returned from Mt. Myoboku and while I was there I was given a prophecy. Two ninja of powerful heritage will lead the ninja world into peace or cause its destruction. I know that it's about Minato's kids I just know it. Think about it sensei, peace finally realized throughout the elemental nations" Jiraiya said looking up with a smile.

Hiruzen sighed at his student's excitement and slowly stood. "Listen Jiraiya, I know how much world peace means to you, but you mustn't obsess over it for obsession of any kind never produces anything good. Another thing is that prophecies are meant to be left alone so you should forget what you've been told. You know better than I the consequences of interfering with a prophecy of this magnitude" Sarutobi said before putting a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder. "You have made me a very proud teacher Jiraiya. You have not only become a strong ninja, but you have become a good person despite the protests of the entire female population. I trust that you will do the right thing with the information that you have been given" Hiruzen said.

The Sannin frowned slightly at Hiruzen's words but nodded. "I will Sensei" he said getting a smile from his old teacher.

 _Flashback End_

Jiraiya walked on as he thought about that memory. He had given a silent promise to his sensei that day to keep quiet about the toads' prophecy, a promise he would break shortly after the attack of the nine tailed fox. Once the fox was defeated, Jiraiya had seen the decimation and destruction left in the mighty beast's path. All of the death and destruction was nothing new to him and that had infuriated him. When he had found out about his teacher sealing the demon in two of his apprentice's children, Jiraiya felt compelled to tell Minato and Kushina about the prophecy in order to avoid destruction and death on such a scale for the rest of their lives and the lives of the next generation and so on.

The memory of his promise to Hiruzen stabbed at his heart because he knew that not only had he betrayed his teacher, he had betrayed the toads, Minato, Kushina, their children, and possibly everyone in the elemental nations. His constant screw ups had put the entire ninja world's future in jeopardy and he knew that he had to make it right. Still moving through the dark corridor, another memory forced itself into his consciousness.

 _Flashback_

Jiraiya entered the Hokage's Office only to see what had become a common view. Minato sat in his chair doing paperwork with a dead look in his eyes. He had been that way ever since the ANBU had reported no traces or trail of his missing son which was three months ago. With a sigh, Jiraiya walked forward and stood in front of his apprentice who had not even looked up from his work. "Minato, we need to talk about the twins and their destiny" Jiraiya said which caused the blonde to stop writing.

Minato looked up with irritated and angry eyes. "Why is it that I have to remind you that I have three children Jiraiya. One of whom is out there and in danger every second that he is out of the village and it's all because of that damn prophecy. Because of that Kami damned prophecy that you told me, I made my son feel unloved enough to leave, so I am not in slightest mood to hear anything about whatever destiny bullshit you are about to tell me about" Minato said with his fists clenched.

The Toad Sannin clenched his teeth at Minato's attitude. "Listen kid, I know that you're upset about your son but you have two other kids to think about. Menma and Narumi have been foretold to be the ones to bring peace to the ninja world. It's what we've always wanted and it's just within our grasp, all we have to do is nurture those kids until they're ready to fulfill their destinies" the older man finished.

The Hokage scowled at Jiraiya's words. "It sounds like you are thinking of MY children as simply a means to an end Jiraiya. How very cold. I would think that you being their godfather would be at least a little concerned with not only their well being but Naruto's as well" the blonde kage said causing Jiraiya to look away.

Jiraiya looked at the ground at Minato's insinuation. "You know I love Menma and Narumi and would do anything for them, but you need to give up on Naruto. He decided to leave and become a traitor to-" Jiraiya was interrupted as Minato appeared instantly in front of the Sannin and sent a punch that felt like it could rival that of Tsunade's sending Jiraiya flying into the wall. As Jiraiya tried to recover, he noticed his Hokage walking slowly towards him.

Minato came to a stop in front of his teacher who was rubbing his head and growled at the man while clenching his fists. "Don't you ever call my son a traitor. The only betrayal in our relationship with Naruto is on the part of Kushina and myself. I will never stop looking for him until he is found and safely back in the Leaf where I will spend the rest of my days trying to repent for my sins as a father. Now I want you to listen closely Jiraiya because I will only tell you this once. If I ever hear you speak of my kids or Naruto as you have done so in front of me again, I'll kill you. I promise you Jiraiya that I will erase you from existence if you try to ruin my family, am I understood?" the Fourth Hokage asked focusing a massive amount of killing intent on his teacher. The older man quickly nodded and left the office without a word.

 _Flashback End_

Jiraiya frowned and shook his head at that memory. That day was the day that he began to regret telling Minato the prophecy because he realized that in doing so, he had hurt the people closest to him far more than any kunai could. If anyone ever asked him why he said such things to Minato, he would have no answer. The best reason that he could come up with was that he was frustrated and he was so comfortable speaking his mind with his student that some things just slipped out. The memory instilled a fair amount of pain and shame to his heart but the Sannin cleared his mind. Today would be the day of his penance. Today he would right his wrongs whether he had to give his life to do so or not.

(Ten Minutes Later)

The Toad Sannin reached the end of the dark corridor and walked through an open door that led to a large, well lighted room. The floor was black but the walls were blood red with torches hanging along the walls. As the man walked further into the room, he noticed a large black throne at the end of the room that was inhabited by a black haired man with a noticeable scar. The man in the throne unnerved the Sannin because of the grin that was spread across his face. Jiraiya stopped walking when the man started to stand up.

Tsuranabi smiled at the appearance of Jiraiya of the Sannin as he stood. All according to plan. "Well if it isn't the great Jiraiya the Toad Sage" Tsuranabi said chuckling. "I take it that you are here for the Kyuubi jinchuriki are you not?" the black haired man asked with a grin causing the white haired man to clench his fists.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at the man ahead of him. He could feel the immense power that the man held and could easily assume that he was a member of the Shinigami's Blade. "I'm here because you kidnapped my godchildren which was mistake number one. Mistake number two was the attempt at my student's life from one of your other members. And mistake number three was the attempt at my third godchild's life by one of your members as well. A pretty hefty bill that I'm willing to overlook if you return to me the two kids that you kidnapped" Jiraiya said in a threatening voice.

The Shinigami's Blade leader's eyes nearly popped out at the outrageous insinuation that he kidnapped Menma and Narumi. "Kidnapped? They practically begged me to take them with me so long as I gave them the power to kill the one known as Naruto Uzumaki. If you don't believe me, then I guess a reunion is in order" Tsuranabi said snapping his fingers. At his snap, two pillars of flames appeared on either side of him that slowly died to reveal Menma and Narumi Uzumaki Namikaze.

Both Menma and Narumi had improved physically as much as possible, the only difference in their appearance from the Leaf were their eyes. No longer did they have their mother's purple eyes, in their place were demonic red eyes that screamed biju chakra. The two Kyubi jinchuriki stepped forward and smirked at their godfather's stupefied expression. "Hello Jiraiya, your appearance is kind of unexpected" said Menma to which Narumi nodded at her brother's statement. While they took in the sudden appearance of their godfather, demonic red chakra began to slowly cover their bodies. "It's a shame that you won't be leaving here alive, otherwise we would tell you to make sure that Naruto knows that we will kill him nice and slow" Narumi commented as the red chakra completely covered her and her brother.

Jiraiya's jaw was nearly to the floor. His godchildren had not been kidnapped, they had left of their own accord. And to make things even more complicated, they seemed to have control of the Kyubi's chakra as it wasn't causing the two to fall into madness. Shaking his head, Jiraiya spoke shakily. "But why? You were given everything you ever wanted. You were showered with love and some of the best trainers that anyone could ever have. How could you do this?" the Toad Sannin asked.

Narumi laughed out loud while Menma chucked before he spoke. "We do this because we are above all of you mortals. We hold power unlike any other and deserve to be worshiped respectfully. By the time we're done, there will be no kages, there will be no villages, all people will be gathered together to look up to and worship us" Menma said getting a nod from his sister, a narrow eyed look from Tsuranabi, and fearful look from Jiraiya. "There's also the little issue of destroying Naruto, brother" said Narumi getting a nod from her brother.

The two were crazy and needed to be stopped. Those were Jiraiya's initial thoughts, but they quickly moved on to a feeling that he had never felt before. The need to protect his only remaining godson. Clenching his jaw, Jiraiya stood up straight. "You won't lay a finger on Naruto. I made a mistake both in raising you two and neglecting him. Only now do I see how special that boy truly is and I refuse to let any of you harm him. Now Menma and Narumi, I will give you one chance to surrender peacefully, otherwise I'll bring you back to the Leaf broken in more than one place" Jiraiya said preparing to attack.

Menma and Narumi looked at each other and smirked before vanishing. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he tried to sense the two jinchuriki's chakra. Putting his hands together, Jiraiya went through a series of handsigns but was interrupted by a fist slamming into his stomach. Jiraiya's eyes widened at the amount of force behind the punch and groaned in pain before looking up to see Menma with a dark smile plastered on his face. Menma's eyes left the man for a moment as he glanced at his sister who was behind Jiraiya ready to bring her red biju blade down on the Sannin.

In Menma's lapse of concentration, Jiraiya quickly rolled to the side just as Narumi swung her sword. With Jiraiya no longer in the path, Narumi's sword strike slashed right down Menma's face causing Menma to yell in pain. Jiraiya smirked at the two children still not understanding the importance of coordination on the battlefield. His smirk quickly faded though as Menma started to laugh and his face healed, red chakra removing any evidence of the wound. Menma and Narumi turned to Jiraiya with a smile on their face.

Jiraiya went through a quick series of handsigns before shouting "Swamp of the Underworld". As Jiraiya finished shouting his jutsu, an layer of mud quickly spread throughout the ground and quickly trapped Menma and Narumi in its grasp. The two kids looked down and frowned at the mud keeping them from moving. Jiraiya went through another series of handsigns before following up with another jutsu as he shouted "Dragon Flame Jutsu" sending a stream of fire that covered the two kids. When the attack was finished, Jiraiya hunched over panting slightly. He looked up as the smoke cleared and was shocked to his core at what he saw. Both Menma and Narumi were standing with a bored expression on their faces. Serious burns covered their bodies, but it was quickly rectified with the chakra of the Kyubi which healed their injuries at an alarming rate.

The Sannin bit his lip in concentration before shouting "Needle Jizo". His white hair grew quickly until it covered the man's entire body providing a sharp shell and strong defense for him to think about his next move. Inside of his shell, Jiraiya started grinding his teeth in thought. 'Those two are accessing the Kyubi's chakra with ease, it's almost like the chakra is acting of it's own will. It's okay Jiraiya, you've been in binds before. If I can somehow neutralize the Kyubi, then I should be able to beat these kids. But then there's the problem of that man watching us' Jiraiya thought. His thoughts were interrupted however as the hand of Narumi reached through the sharp defense of Jiraiya's and pulled him out by his face.

Narumi pulled Jiraiya out and ran pulling him by his face before she slammed it into a nearby wall, loving the sound of the man's nose breaking from impact. Pulling his head back by his hair, she slammed his head back into the wall five more times before forcing him to the ground on his stomach. She kept him from getting up by placing her foot that was covered in red chakra on his back.

Jiraiya yelled in pain and tried to get away from the toxic biju chakra that was burning his back. He barely noticed Menma walking to his right arm but that changed when a sharp pain shot through the arm. Looking at it, Jiraiya saw a red chakra chain that had impaled his arm and was now wrapping itself around the limb. "Please no" whimpered the Sannin as he had an idea of what Menma was going to do. Menma chuckled at Jiraiya's short plea. "You always were pathetic Jiraiya" the boy said causing Jiraiya to struggle more vigorously to get away from the two.

Looking down at Jiraiya's arm, Menma saw that his chain had gone around the old man's arm. With a deep breath, Menma grabbed the chain as red chakra covered him and he began to pull. Thanks to the enhanced strength courtesy of the nine tailed fox, he was able to slowly and in Jiraiya's case agonizingly painfully rip the Sannin's arm from the man's body. Jiraiya screamed at the loss of his arm as blood gushed from the loss. Menma frowned at the sight of Jiraiya who was starting to lose consciousness so he reached down and placed his hand on the wound allowing his biju chakra to cauterize the man's wound which woke him from his lucid state and allowed the symphony of screams to resume.

Narumi giggled at the beautiful sound of a man in pain before sending a biju chakra infused chain into Jiraiya's shoulder getting a jerking reaction from the man. Using the chakra as a conduit, she injected her own chakra into the Sannin's chakra pathway which quickly corroded and destroyed the man's chakra. Kneeling down on his back, Narumi whispered "Let's see how great of a ninja you are without the ability to use chakra" before pulling her chain violently out of his shoulder.

Menma smiled at the sight of the man who was now starting to sob at the pain he had just had to endure. "That's enough" said the voice of Tsuranabi causing both kids to look at the man as if he was crazy. Tsuranabi walked forward until he stood above the fallen ninja. "Impressive aren't they Jiraiya? And to think, they weren't even trying to their fullest extent. Perhaps next time don't underestimate an opponent, not that you will be doing much fighting in the future" he said chuckling. Menma spoke up as he noticed a look he was getting from his sister. "May we kill him now master?" asked the boy but to his shock, Tsuranabi shook his head. "No. After all, haven't you heard the expression "Don't shoot the messenger"? Jiraiya here will be our little crippled messenger" he said before kneeling down and lifting Jiraiya's head by his hair. "You will tell your Hokage that anyone who attempts to come for us here will die a very painful death. Also, I want you to tell Naruto that I look forward to our showdown. That is, if he's alive to see you again. I've sent him a challenge that will tell me what I finally want to know about the boy. One that I doubt he'll survive but fingers crossed. Now, let's get you back home" Tsuranabi said before a mass of darkness overcame the Sannin until he was no longer in the Shinigami's Blade Base.

* * *

(Near Konoha Gates)

Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Tayuya walked back to Konoha after a good day of training. Ever since the two had healed, the Sannin had started to teach the two all that he knew in the hopes that they would never be in the situation that he had recovered them from again. A part of Orochimaru still hurt as he thought about Sakon, Ukon, Jirobo, and Kidomaru. Their biggest sin was being intoxicated by his past evil beliefs and getting caught up in his mess. It was just another reason to care for Kimimaro and Tayuya as much as he did. Those two along with Anko were the closest that he had to family and he would not only protect them with his life, but he would train them to become strong enough so that they no longer needed his protection.

The trio continued to Konoha with the gates in sight when all three felt a malevolent short burst of chakra nearby. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes in the direction of the burst. "Kimimaro, Tayuya, on me" the Sannin said as both became serious, Tayuya pulling out her flute and Kimimaro forcing the bones of his arms out. Cautiously, the three made their way through the trees to the location of the chakra. After a short while, the trio came to a small clearing only to see a shocking sight to say the least. Lying on the ground in a puddle of blood was Jiraiya the Toad Sage,

Orochimaru's eyes widened and he quickly turned to his two students. "Kimimaro, get the Hokage. Tayuya, get a medic team" he ordered to which both kids nodded and quickly left. Getting to his knees, Orochimaru checked his wounded friend. The man was in bad shape. Bruises covered his face, he had a badly broken nose, and the man's right arm was nonexistent. From the overwhelming smell of burned flesh, it was obvious that whoever did this cauterized the wound. Orochimaru could recognize the type of beating that his former teammate had taken, it was one of anger and hatred. The person who had injured Jiraiya wanted the man to suffer. The Sannin gave his friend a slight shake to observe whether or not he was conscious. The shake gained a groan which was good. "It's okay Jiraiya, you're back in Konoha" Orochimaru said in a comforting tone.

Not a second later, a new figure in the form of Minato Namikaze appeared in the small clearing. "Jiraiya!" Minato shouted in surprise. Without another word, the Fourth Hokage grabbed his teacher and flashed away from the area.

* * *

(Konoha Hospital Eight Hours Later)

Minato, Kushina, and Orochimaru sat outside Jiraiya's hospital room. All three looked up when Tsunade opened the door and came out with a sad look and her clipboard in hand. Minato, Kushina, and Orochimaru each stood to hear what the news was.

Tsunade sighed, her exhaustion evident. "He's stable for now. He lost his arm, that much I'm sure Orochimaru has told you" Tsunade inferred to which Minato nodded. "We were able to heal his nose though it will be slightly crooked from now on" she said before flipping a page of her clipboard. "I'm afraid that the healing of his nose is the last of the good news. He had multiple skull fractures, four broken ribs, a punctured lung, multiple burn marks, and finally a problem that we don't quite understand. His body is producing the bare minimum chakra that a body can produce. I don't know how it happened but it doesn't look like a temporary problem. I'm afraid that it will be impossible to keep Jiraiya in the ninja force" she finished causing the three visitors to look down.

The sad moment was interrupted by Shizune who opened the door to Jiraiya's room quickly. "Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya is awake!" Shizune shouted causing everyone's eyes to widen. Tsunade followed by Minato, Kushina, Orochimaru, and Shizune entered the room to see Jiraiya trying to sit up and grimacing in pain. Tsunade rushed to his side and put a hand gently on his chest to keep him down before raising the bed so that he could sit slightly. "Jiraiya, how are you feeling?" the Slug Sannin asked putting a hand to his head.

Jiraiya was quiet for a moment before looking around and locating Minato. "Minato, I found Menma and Narumi" the Sannin said before interrupting himself with a small coughing fit. Seeing this, Shizune quickly left to get him some water. "Minato, where is Naruto?" the Sannin asked getting confused looks from everyone.

"Naruto is on a mission Jiraiya. You said that you found Menma and Narumi, where are they?" Minato asked quickly as Kushina looked at the man desperate for an answer.

The former toad summoner was about to speak but another coughing fit interrupted him. Luckily, Shizune entered just in time with a cup of water and held it up to the man's mouth. Jiraiya took a few short gulps of water before looking back at Minato. "I was wrong Minato. They weren't kidnapped, they left on their own. Menma and Narumi are a lost cause Minato, I was too late" he said as tears started to fall from his eyes. "Listen to me Minato, they are with the Shinigami's Blade now and they are able to fully utilize the Kyubi's chakra. After those two did this to me, one of the members of the Shinigami's Blade said something" Jiraiya said before getting another sip of water from Shizune. After finishing, he spoke again. "He said that he had a challenge for Naruto that would probably kill him. If he's on a mission, you have to call him back or he could die. I can't fail another godchild Minato so you have to call him back" Jiraiya said before lying down and losing consciousness.

Minato held his head while his wife sobbed at what they had just been told. Orochimaru turned to Minato. "Minato, do you want me to send a message to Itachi and Kakashi's team?" the Snake Sannin asked. The Yellow Flash thought for a long moment before shaking his head. "They will be nearing Demon Country by now. I trust that Itachi and Kakashi will keep my son safe" the blonde said.

"WHAT!" shouted the Hokage's wife causing everyone to look at her. "I don't give a fuck where he is, you bring my baby back now" she ordered with puffy eyes.

Minato once again shook his head. "Kushina, it isn't that easy. Naruto is on a high profile mission that has to be completed. We have to trust in the people that surround him and we have to trust our son" the blonde tried to reason. Kushina said nothing, she just stormed out of the room. Minato put his hand back on his head before turning to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, add two new names into the Bingo Book. Menma and Narumi Uzumaki Namikaze. S rank, dead or alive" the blonde said looking at the ground with an utterly defeated and hopeless expression on his face. The other three occupants in the room were shocked but understood that at this moment, the Hokage had to be objective, even if that meant declaring his own children as criminals. Such were the duties of a kage.

* * *

(Unknown Location)

A black haired man sat on the edge of a mountain cliff watching the sun set. Two scars ran down his eyes, both of which were yellow with a black sclera in the middle. He sat wearing a red shirt and tan shorts without shoes. Only a short time ago had he been brought back to the mortal plane, it felt good for him to see the sunset again. The man looked beside him at one of the reasons he had been brought back. Sitting beside him was a black blade, red handled sword that held a dragon eye right where the blade and handle connected.

The man sighed. Soon, he would be reunited with his long lost friend and the two would fulfill their agreement. The dragons would conquer the serpent.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, hope you all like it. I'm sure a few of you are disappointed that Jiraiya didn't die or didn't get a worse punishment, but I just couldn't do it. Anyways, hope that you all liked the chapter and I hope that you all are enjoying the story. See ya next time.


	36. Protecting a Princess

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm glad that you liked the last chapter :)

Animaman: I totally understand where you are coming from about Jiraiya's realization that he was a hypocrite. I kinda rushed through it and tried to put in a few moments that helped him come to the conclusion of how he had acted right before the fight between him and the twins. I'll have to see how things play out in terms of getting a conversation of Jiraiya in because things are about to get pretty hectic. As for things between Shion and Yakumo, well I can't spoil what's about to come.

AnimeKing211: I'm sorry to say that I don't really know much about Dragon Ball Super so I'm sorry that I don't get the reference. The best I can do is say that the twins used Jiraiya to further their abilities and now, they feel that their abilities far surpass most if not everyone else's. They thought of Jiraiya as weak and below them and would've thought of it as funny if they killed him.

Guest: Menma and Narumi are very strong especially because of their biju weapons but there is a key thing that will be revealed later on that might change your mind about Naruto needing to go back to training. Of course more training never hurt anyone though.

1995hzq: Yeah, trying to influence a prophecy almost never works because it was probably part of the prophecy, or it can cause devastating and horrible results. Menma and Narumi deserve to get their asses kicked but I can't say anymore in regards to them for fear of spoiling. Also while Jiraiya's ninja career may be over, I could see him as an amusingly irresponsible academy teacher maybe.

DxGRAYxMAN: Jiraiya did have it coming in more ways than one but as for Naruto slapping the twins around, I will say that Menma and Narumi have gotten a lot stronger. Not that Naruto hasn't as well, I just have to say that Menma and Narumi have grown quite a lot in power.

New Elements92: Yeah almost too painful of an I told you so but I'm sure that some characters like Naruto or Yakumo would answer not enough.

UnsanMusho: I decided kinda last minute to keep him alive rather than killing him because I like Jiraiya and I just couldn't kill him off.

Shanks 1: Kushina wants her kids to do great things and when she found out that Menma and Narumi were the children of the prophecy (or are they?), she jumped on making them the best prophecy children they could be becoming a prisoner to the moment and accidentally leading herself to years of neglecting her first born child

Guest: Your review was in French according to Google translate but I was able to read it. I cannot confirm or deny any deaths that may or may not occur in the future and I plan on continuing the story. Thank you for reading and I hope that you continue to enjoy.

omegaderose: Firstly, I would think that anything is possible in fanfiction which is part of what makes it so great. As for Tsuranabi being the ten tailed beast jinchuriki and wielder of the ten tailed beast biju weapon, I thought that it would be a fun twist to the story and it's one that I am comfortable with. I'm sorry if that ruins it for you but I hope that you enjoy it regardless.

ncpfan: In terms of Naruto being unfair to his parents, possibly. He is going through some things in which he is trying to decide for himself where things stand between them since what his dark self told him had some merit. The first time he forgave his parents was after he had just gotten back from killing a mass of bandits so he was in an understandable amount of shock and needed something to latch onto. His parents were there for exactly that. But later down the line, he starts wondering whether his current relationship with his parents is genuine or if it's based off of a heat of the moment decision. Next, Naruto's parents' mood swing is simply an extreme example of you don't know what you got til it's gone. When their eyes are opened and they finally realize what they lost, they then see all of the mistakes that they have made like how they have raised Menma and Narumi. I can't answer the questions about any future conversations or clan reinductions yet because they could be considered spoilers for what's coming up.

Guest: I'm glad that you found this story as well and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata walked out of the movie theater. For the past two and a half hours, they had been watching the most popular actress in Fire country, Yukie Fugikaze. Her most recent Princess Gale film had been pretty entertaining to the three kunoitchi, but Yakumo was getting tired of hearing Sakura go on and on about the male lead of the movie. Lucky for the genjutsu user, she noticed what looked to be someone riding a horse heading right at the trio.

"Back" Yakumo shouted knocking Sakura and Hinata out of their musings as they each jumped back and out of the way of the incoming horse. As the horse sped past the three, a familiar figure was able to be seen on the animal. There was Yukie Fugikaze, their assigned protectorate, speeding past them. Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata watched as she kept riding and increasing the distance, none of the kunoitchi having a response for the sight. Before any of the girls could say a word or form a reaction, ten masked figures went by the three on their own horses in the direction of Yukie.

"Um, I think that maybe we should do something about that" Yakumo said before taking off quickly. Sakura looked at Hinata for a short moment before gaining a determined look on her face and running to catch up with Hinata immediately following suit.

* * *

Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata quickly caught up with Yukie as they each roof hopped while assessing the situation. The brunette genjutsu user looked back at Sakura and Hinata and nodded at the two. Sakura nodded back and sped up before jumping off of the roof and landing on the ground behind their client. Seeing the masked figures approaching, the pink haired kunoitchi raised her fist and brought it down causing the surrounding area to start shaking. The shaking caused the figures' horses to lose their footing and fall to the ground, throwing their riders off violently.

As the figures slowly started to stand up, Hinata landed in front of them in her Gentle Fist stance with her Byakugan activated. Just as the purple haired Hyuga was about to attack, a flurry of paper surrounded the girl quickly restraining her movement. A second later, a blue haired woman appeared in a paper shunshin in front of Hinata holding Sakura by her collar. Konan had arrived and looked quite annoyed.

"It would be best that we refrain from assaulting associates of our client. Bad for business" Konan said with a sigh. "Now where is my brash apprentice?" the blue haired jounin asked.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo stood with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Not far away from her was Yukie who had been swarmed by a multitude of child fans. It was an amusing sight at first, but Yakumo's mood quickly changed as she watched the actress dismiss the children quite rudely. With a sigh, Yakumo approached Yukie who was about to get back on her horse.

"Ms. Fugikaze, I am part of your security escort and I would appreciate it if you would come with me" Yakumo said as she stood in front of the actress. Honestly, she had been really excited about their mission when the Hokage assigned it. How quickly her opinion had changed. The genjutsu user shook her head, she was supposed to stay objective during a mission.

Yukie looked down at Yakumo and snorted. "Get lost kid, I'm not going anywhere" the actress said as she went to get on her horse only to be pulled down by her shirt. A second later, she was being dragged along the ground by the brown haired girl. "Hey kid, let me go! I told you to get lost so leave me alone!" Yukie shouted only for Yakumo to ignore her and continue dragging her. Seeing that resistance was futile, Yukie crossed her arms and clenched her fists in anger.

As the brunette kunoitchi continued to drag the distressed actress, Konan appeared in a paper shunshin in front of Yakumo. The blue haired jounin assessed the situation before sighing and face palming. "Yakumo, what have I told you about making rash decisions?" Konan asked and went to Yukie without waiting for an answer. Kneeling down, Konan tried to help the actress up. "My apologies Ms. Fugikaze, my student tends to act impulsively at times" she said reaching out to help the woman up.

Yukie scoffed at Konan's apology and refused the bluenette's assistance. "I'll say. Keep your brat on a leash because if something like that happens again, I'll see to it personally that you and your team are fired" the actress said before walking off.

Konan frowned at Yukie's comment and shook her head before looking at Yakumo. "Listen Yakumo, sometimes you will get missions where you can't stand the client. Our duty as ninja is to put those feelings behind us and act professionally so try to curve your temper" Konan asked. She smiled when Yakumo nodded at her request. "Good. For now I'll have a shadow clone trail her and let her cool off. Meanwhile, we have to meet with the director of her movie" Konan said before putting her hands together and silently creating a shadow clone.

* * *

(Movie Studio)

It took Konan and Yakumo ten minutes to reach the movie studio where Hinata and Sakura were waiting for them in front of the director, an orange haired man in a backwards hat, and an elderly man with glasses. "I'm sorry that we're late" Konan said as she and her apprentice came to stand in front of the director. "I also apologize for the team's behavior. It won't happen again" Konan assured.

The director took a puff of his pipe and began to chuckle. "Don't worry about it. I heard that they were about to beat my men to a pulp so I'm sure that we won't have any problems" he said before taking another puff of his pipe. "Now usually we would finish filming the "Princess Gale" movie here at the studio, but Mr. Asama, Yukie's manager here insisted that we finish in Snow Country at the Rainbow Glacier" he said getting a nod from the manager and a suspicious look from Konan. "The distance and opportunity for us to be robbed or worse made our decision to hire ninja a very easy decision to make" he finished.

After the director was finished speaking, Sandayu Asama stepped forward and adjusted his glasses. "Speaking of which, where is Lady Yukie?"

Konan held up her hand and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she opened them. "Yukie is in a nearby bar and seems to be about three shots in already" she said.

Sandayu looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up. "Then that is where we must go. Preferably right now" the man said looking at Konan. The bluenette gave off a sigh before turning around and walking to the bar that Yukie was at. Her team and Sandayu followed closely.

"So we're just babysitting a pompous actress? I was hoping that we would get to see more action guarding the legendary Princess Gale" Yakumo said speeding up to walk beside her teacher. "And to think, I barely got to spend any time with Naruto before we were assigned this mission. It's so frustrating because any time things slow down, he always goes off training. Ugh it's official, Yukie has ruined my day" Yakumo said causing Sakura and Hinata to giggle behind her.

Yakumo's remarks about Yukie prompted Sandayu to speak immediately after the girl was finished. "Excuse me but you know nothing about Lady Yukie or what she has had to go through so I would appreciate it if you withhold from judging her so hastily" the old man politely but sternly requested.

Konan chuckled at the man's request. "He's right you know. Judging a book by it's cover is one of the greatest sins that we as ninja can commit. I thought that you had come to that realization already girls. As kunoitchi, you should be the last ones to make the mistake of jumping to conclusions" she said causing the chunin and two genin to look at the ground. "Chin up girls, I'll have plenty of time during the mission to emphasize that point on you three" Konan said with a smile as a cold feeling overcame Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata. "Now, here we are" Konan said stopping in front of a bar.

Sandayu was the first one in and the kunoitchi followed shortly after only to come across the sight of a wasted Yukie Fugikaze.

"Lady Yukie we must hurry for the boat will be leaving soon" Sandayu said trying to get his message across to the intoxicated actress. It didn't work.

Yukie glared for a second at Sandayu before snorting. "Forget it. I don't care how much they pay me, I'm never going back to the Land of Snow. Go ahead and tell the director that I quit" Yukie said before taking a large sip of her drink.

Sandayu's jaw dropped at the actress' statement. "But my lady, you can't just quit in the middle of production. You would never be able to get another job in the industry again" the man said trying desperately to get his point across.

"Bah, actors and directors change all the time. As for not working as an actress, I don't care anymore. I'm not going back there, period" Yukie stated before finishing off her drink.

Konan sighed from her spot behind Sandayu. "Obviously we don't have time for this" the blue haired jounin said before walking behind Yukie and knocking her out with a swift chop to the neck. Catching her before she could hit the ground, Konan lifted the woman over her shoulder. "She's heavier than I thought" Konan said with a smirk before looking at Sandayu. "We have somewhere to be, don't we?" she asked. Sandayu responded with a rapid nod.

None of the figures inside the bar noticed a man in a hat and shades standing right at the door able to hear everything. After Yukie was knocked out, the man quickly but quietly left.

* * *

(Yukie's Room on the Ship)

Yukie tossed and turned in her bed. Every now and then she would mutter unrecognizable words before going still. The cycle would repeat every ten minutes. The source of her troubled slumber came from the experiences within her mind that she was seeing.

(Yukie's Dream)

Yukie in the form of a young child wearing a kimono and her hair in twin tails, walked through lightly falling snow to her father who was in a room she had never been in before. As she approached, her father looked up and smiled at the girl. "Ah Koyuki, come here to me" the man said beckoning towards his daughter. The girl obeyed her father and continued towards the man, passing a number of mirrors before coming to stand before her father. "Stand there and tell me what you see" the man said pointing towards one of the mirrors.

The little girl stood in front of the mirror and tilted her head before answering. "I see you and me" she answered gaining a chuckle from her father as she continued to look in the mirror. She kept staring before visions flashed before her eyes of her sealed within ice and then a vision of her falling into water.

(Back in Yukie's Room)

Yukie's eyes flew open at the dream. Taking a small breath, she put an arm in front of her eyes to shield her from the sunlight that was shining through her window. Slowly sitting up, she yawned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She had a small headache. no doubt from her little visit to the local bar yesterday. Yukie held her head as the room started to rock back and forth. It was the strangest thing but it felt as if she was on a boat.

It took a few seconds for the actress to put two and two together before her eyes widened. Quickly getting up, Yukie ran out of her room and opened the door only to be met with a sight she had feared. She was on a ship and she knew exactly where it was heading.

(30 Minutes Later)

Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata excitedly watched the staff of the movie set up the set on the ship. Yakumo may have an unfavorable opinion of Yukie at the moment, but the thought of being on an actual big budget movie set was exciting nonetheless. Meanwhile Sakura and surprisingly Hinata were "discreetly" watching the male actors of the movie. Ever since Yakumo had given the two kunoitchi two copies of " _Mei Terumi's Special_ _Guide to Getting Your Man_ ", the newest Mizukage's most recent book, both had become far more fascinated in the "male species".

Konan meanwhile leaned over the ship examining the sea. She let herself be lost in it's beauty until she noticed something in the distance. Squinting, she was able to see what looked to be a dark haired boy with a straw hat standing at the front of a pirate ship. Rubbing her eyes, Konan looked back to the spot only to see nothing. Shrugging, the jounin went back to watching the ocean.

Yukie sat in a chair surrounded by makeup staff and her manager. She looked dead, emotionless, and cold. When the makeup crew were done, the director shouted "Actors on set" prompting the woman to get up and go to her spot. She knelt down beside a male actor who was lying on his back.

"All right, let's start this thing. ACTION!" shouted the director.

The moment the word action was said, everyone's eyes including the ninjas from Konoha widened. Yukie threw her cold demeanor away and in it's place was the woman known as Princess Gale. They examined her acting, a performance that couldn't be replicated. She truly is an actress like no other thought those watching Yukie until the woman put her hand up.

"Stop. Sandayu, I need the drops for the tears" she said getting sweatdrops and then groans from everyone on board with the exception of Sandayu who ran to the actress with the drops. So much for an actress like no other.

The rest of the day contained multiple takes for the movie, many of them being re-done at Yukie's "insistence". By the end of the day, everyone was just ready to go to bed, exhausted from their day of work. Yukie returned to her room without a word.

(Next Morning)

The entire crew of the movie along with Konoha nin sat around a small furnace in the snow. Earlier, the director had made the decision that filming in front of a giant glacier blocking the ship's path would be a perfect place to film. Wanting to get the shoot done and return to the ship as quick as possible, everyone got in their places after a few minutes of warming up from the furnace.

Now, a man dressed as the enemy of Princess Gale stood atop a hill of ice. From below, a few actors portraying soldiers stood in front of Yukie looking ready to fight. "Princess Gale, stand back. We'll take care of him" said a soldier drawing upon his sword as did the others surrounding Yukie.

The man dressed as the villain laughed at them a little too enthusiastically. "You think that you are a match for me? Please, you're too-" he never finished his line as an explosion went off near the tip of a nearby glacier.

Before anyone could comment on the explosion, Konan stepped forward. "Everyone back to the ship NOW! Yakumo, with me. Sakura, Hinata, protect Yukie" the blue haired jounin said getting nods from the team but the movie crew didn't move. Instead the continued rolling. Konan noticed the crew ignoring her orders and gritted her teeth. 'Anything for the camera' she thought as Yakumo took her spot beside her master and unsealed "Graceful Lily".

As the smoke cleared, a light blue haired figure stood with a smirk. He wore a light blue and grey uniform and a mechanical device. "Welcome to the Land of Snow" the man said.

"Hello Princess Koyuki, I take it that you brought the Hex Crystal" said a female wearing a similar outfit to the man who stood at the tip of the glacier.

The statement caused Konan's eyes to narrow before she felt another chakra signature a good distance behind them. Konan turned to see a large man stand up from under the snow. He too wore a similar outfit to the other two intruders but had purple hair. Her examination of the large man was interrupted when the first man spoke.

"Fubuki, Mizore, take care of the princess" the man said before jumping down.

Konan turned to her apprentice as she noticed the man jumping down. "Yakumo, protect Yukie" Konan ordered before jumping up to meet the man. When the two met, Konan stood with her eyes narrowed while the man smirked. "I don't know who you are, but it would be in your best interest to leave now" Konan said getting into a defensive stance. The man across from her chuckled.

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nadare Roga, ninja of the Land of Snow. And you should be more concerned with your own situation" he said before the two jumped at each other starting a taijutsu battle.

(Yakumo, Sakura, Hinata)

The three remaining kunoitchi immediately surrounded Yukie assuming defensive positions. Yakumo saw the big man known as Mizore and the female Snow ninja known as Fubuki approaching Yukie. Making a quick decision, Yakumo gripped her scythe. "Sakura get everyone out of here. Hinata, we have some snowflakes to take care of" Yakumo said taking off with Hinata following behind. When the two left, Sakura turned around and cracked her knuckles before performing a jutsu she had examined for so many years at the academy. The fabled "Big Headed Jutsu" created by the academy teacher Iruka Umino. "EVERYONE GET THE FUCK BACK ON THE SHIP!" the girl shouted, her head growing ten sizes and striking enough fear into the movie crew to leave but continue filming while fleeing.

Yakumo ran with Hinata behind her before the two split off. The genjutsu user ran towards Mizore who promptly removed a sort of board and stood on top. A second later, he was speeding towards Yakumo. As Mizore neared the girl, Yakumo smirked as she jumped avoiding being run over. While in mid-air, Yakumo swung "Graceful Lily" landing a strike to Mizore's shoulder but was disappointed when the blade wasn't able to pierce the unique armor the man was wearing. Just as the girl was about to land, she turned into a flurry of explosive notes that flew quickly in front of Mizore, the explosion throwing him off his board and face first into the snow.

Hinata faced her opponent with her byakugan activated. Fubuki stood with an evil grin across from the Hyuga heiress. "Look little girl, you know you can't beat me. I can see it through your body language. You're not ready to take on someone like me" she said which only caused Hinata to get into her Gentle Fist stance. Fubuki sighed before smiling. "Don't say I didn't warn you kid" Fubuki said before going through a quick sequence of hand seals and shouting "Ice Style Tsubame Blizzard" sending a number of ice shards in the form of swallows flying towards Hinata.

The Hyuga faced the attack with a determined look. "I won't lose! Rotation" the girl shouted spinning and creating a dome of chakra around her destroying the attack sent by Fubuki who frowned seeing the result of the clash of attacks. Before Fubuki could attack Hinata again, the Leaf genin rushed at her with her palms open. Just as Hinata landed her palm strike, she was violently thrown back.

Fubuki chuckled at the downed girl. "I take it you're pretty confused. I told you that you couldn't beat me. I'm wearing chakra armor, an armor that makes all ninjutsu and genjutsu useless against me. Any usage of chakra against me is basically a death warrant signed for yourself. Now I have a schedule to keep so "Ice Prison Jutsu"" the Snow ninja said launching a wave of ice at the immobile Hinata. Before it could hit Hinata however, Yakumo appeared in front of Hinata picking her up and taking the attack herself which sent her flying back near Sakura.

(Konan)

The blue haired jounin was getting tired of the man she was facing and stopped when she saw her apprentice and Hinata land near Sakura and Yukie. Leaving behind Nadare, Konan sped to her team and reached them quickly. Looking at her team, she noticed Yakumo and Hinata both shakily standing up while Sakura looked concerned for her friends. Turning her head, Konan noticed that Yukie had now fallen to her knees for some reason.

"Sensei, they've got some sort of armor that neutralizes chakra" Yakumo said lightly panting. Konan's eyes widened at the new information. The jounin had only heard rumors of the advanced technology such as the chakra armor of Snow Country.

Konan turned to Yakumo and looked at the girl. "Yakumo, I'm going to need you to get us back to the ship because this attack will most likely cause me to lose consciousness" Konan said before walking forward, not giving her apprentice a chance to respond. Her three Snow ninja opponents stood across from her a fair distance away with smiles on their faces. Outstretching her arms, Konan summoned as much chakra sh she could before shouting out "ORIGAMI DEVASTATION".

Thousands of sheets of paper, each with an explosive note attached to it flew at the three Snow ninja. Nadare's eyes widened at the mass amount of explosives coming their way and performed a series of handsigns as quickly as he could. "White Whale Jutsu" he said as he ended his handsigns. Just before the explosive notes could make it to their target, a narwhal made completely of ice rose from the middle of the glacier and took the attack head on. When the thousands of explosive notes hit the whale, they each exploded creating a blast that destroyed the whale and was even able to knock the three Snow ninja on their backs.

As the three got up slowly, they watched the ship that contained Koyuki and the group of Konoha ninja sailing beyond reach. Nadare sighed and grit his teeth at the sight before looking at his companions. "Come on, we have to report to Doto" he said and the three quickly left.

In the Snow ninjas' haste, not once did they notice a woman with white hair done in a long braid kneeling atop the glacier. On her back was a sword in a blue and white sheath. The woman smiled at what she had just seen before looking up at the sky. "Your sister certainly is powerful, I see why you bragged about her so much Sera" the woman said before jumping from her spot and leaving.

* * *

(One Day Later Port of Land of Snow)

Yakumo, Sakura, Hinata, Sandayu, the director, and his assistant sat at a large wooden table inside of the ship. Konan sat next to Yakumo looking quite exhausted but attentive nonetheless.

"Okay, I think that you boys have some explaining to do" Konan said with her arms crossed. The director smoked his pipe, Sandayu looked down, and the assistant just looked around like he had no idea what was happening.

Sandayu took a breath before breaking the silence of the men. "I'm afraid that I haven't been completely honest with you. Yukie Fugikaze, the woman that you have been guarding, is not real. It is an alias made years ago to conceal her true identity. She is Koyuki Kazahana, Princess of the Land of Snow. I served her when she was a child and before that I served her father, Lord Sosetsu Kazahana" Sandayu said with a smile. "The Land of Snow was small, but it was peaceful. Everyone was happy, or so it seemed" he said as his smile fell into a sad frown. "Ten years ago, Sosetsu's younger brother Doto hired an army of Snow ninja and began a rebellion" Sandayu said before wiping at his eye.

"He destroyed everything in his path, killed all those who opposed him, and killed Lord Sosetsu. For years I lived believing that Princes Koyuki had died with her father, but one day I heard a rumor which led me to the discovery that she had been saved. The reason I chose Konoha for this mission is because upon further investigation, I was able to find out that she had been saved on the night of the rebellion by a masked ninja from Konoha" Sandayu said with a smile.

"I should have died that night" said a voice prompting everyone to turn quickly and see Koyuki standing in the doorway. "After that night, I refused to care anymore. My heart died and all tears that I held dried up" Koyuki said in a cold voice.

Sandayu rose from his chair and bowed in front of Koyuki. "Please Princess Koyuki, you are the last hope for the Land of Snow. I beg of you to join your people and rise up against Doto to claim your rightful place as the Daimyo of the Land of Snow. Please my lady, for your people" the man begged with tears falling at a quick pace. The rest of the room watched, interested in what the actress' answer to such a request would be.

Koyuki looked at Sandayu who was on his knees crying before her. "Forget it. Why should I care what happens to Snow? Doto rules Snow Country and I don't see that changing for a long time, you might as well give up" the woman said coldly causing Sandayu to look back at the ground. The room was silent for a long moment before Yakumo rising from her chair interrupted the silence.

"You know, it's taking a lot for me to keep from punching your face in. If you want to wallow in your own self pity, be my guest. Just because you don't care doesn't give you the right to belittle people's hopes and dreams. All Sandayu wants is for his country and people to be free, a nobler dream than most. You are in the position and have the opportunity to not only free a nation, but fulfill the hopes and dreams of an entire people yet you spit on it. I refuse to work for someone that selfish and cold so I'm going to take the decision out of your hands. We will kill this Doto guy, the country will be free, and you will be the best Kami damned daimyo of all time whether you like it or not" Yakumo said standing up with a fire in her eyes. The rest of the room excluding Koyuki smiled at her words. Sakura and Hinata looked at each other before nodding with a look of determination, Konan smiled at her apprentice's spirit, the director nodded while thinking of the filming opportunity, and Sandayu cried happy that people believed in his goal.

Koyuki clenched her fists at Yakumo's speech. "This isn't a game! You can't beat Doto, he's too powerful" she shouted irritated that they wouldn't hear the stupidity and futility of their words.

Yakumo smirked before unsealing "Graceful Lilly". "Well lucky for you, you have one of the three "Kage Killers" to help level the playing field" the brunette genjutsu user said.

* * *

(Two Hours Later)

The movie crew had stopped for the moment to film. They had stopped near the tunnel of an unused railroad and were getting things together when the director's assistant ran out shouting that Koyuki had gone missing. Before everyone could start panicking, the Konoha kunoitchi each left looking for the missing princess.

It was Yakumo who was the one to come across an almost unconscious Koyuki. With a sigh, the girl picked up the actress and carried the woman on her back trying to get back to the rendezvous as quickly as possible. Yakumo and Koyuki were in the railroad tunnel when Koyuki decided to awake.

"You know, this is the second time I've had to carry you and I'm not a fan of it Princess" said the brunette as she kept walking with Koyuki on her back. "I swear, you are really heavy. I thought that actresses are supposed to keep a figure and all of that stuff. If we're being honest, you could be well on your way to becoming an honorary Akamichi. Then again, if I had the type of food that you celebrities get, I'd probably put on some weight too. Either way, you're gonna have to go on a diet soon. After all, a leader like you can't be too pudgy right?" Yakumo sarcastically asked while giggling.

Koyuki groaned at her position. "Why don't you just give up" the woman asked causing Yakumo to stop. "This situation does not have anything to do with you. You have no responsibility to help Snow, I don't even have a responsibility anymore" Koyuki said looking down at the railroad tracks below them.

Yakumo was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "You're wrong. I do have a responsibility to help Snow and any others that are oppressed by evil tyrants. We all have that responsibility. I've learned that in my short time as a kunoitchi from liberating two nations from evil tyrants. I'm going for the hat trick this time. Trust me Princess, you will understand why it's your responsibility the moment that you look into a freed person's eyes. Helping someone achieve true freedom is a feeling like no other, you'll find that out soon enough" Yakumo said with a smile. "Now let's get go-" Yakumo stopped her sentence as the ground beneath her started to shake.

Slowly turning around, Yakumo saw exactly what she feared. A train was speeding along the rails behind them. A train that would soon run over them. Turning her head, Yakumo looked at Koyuki and looked at her before they both screamed. Yakumo turned around and ran sending all of her chakra into her legs. The train quickly closed in on the two and was nearly to the two. Gritting her teeth, Yakumo forced her legs to move faster than they ever had before, ignoring the burning within her leg muscles.

Just as the train was about to run over Yakumo and Koyuki, the chunin was able to get out of the tunnel and jump off the tracks barely avoiding being flattened. It took about a minute before Yakumo was able to push herself off of the snow and sit up. Looking to make sure that Koyuki was safe, she was confused to see a shaking and scared looking Koyuki muttering "Doto". Looking beside her, Yakumo saw that the train had stopped and Nadare along with a tall man were standing on the roof with a sinister smile. The tall man was Doto Kazahana.

"Why hello Koyuki. It's been about ten years hasn't it?" Doto said. His attention however quickly shifted further along the train where a large number of logs had collided with the side of the machine. Narrowing his eyes, Doto looked to the top of a nearby hill where a large number of men stood in battle gear. Among them was Sandayu decked out in full battle gear with a sword at his side.

Sandayu unsheathed his sword and looked down at the tyrant. "Doto, I and fifty loyal soldiers to the true Land of the Snow have waited a long time for this day. Today, we shall avenge Lord Sosetsu Kazahana and reclaim the Land of Snow in order to return it to its former glory" Sandayu shouted gaining a loud chorus of agreeing shouts. Nearby, a hidden film crew was recording everything.

Nadare looked at Doto. "My apologies Lord Doto, it seems that a few rebels have survived. I shall dispose of them immediately" the blue haired man said but was stopped by Doto who put his hand on his shoulder.

Doto smiled at the number of rebels atop the hill. "No, it's time that they learn true despair" he said with a chuckle as the fifty one loyal Snow warriors ran down the hill in their attempt to overthrow Doto. With a hand signal, the tyrant sent a message to his men along the train. Immediately, parts of the train opened up revealing some type of large launching machine.

As the fifty one warriors came closer, the launcher did its job. Hundreds of kunai were launched in a nonstop barrage that stormed over the entirety of the rebellion. The fifty one men never reached the train, each one killed by a swarm of multiple kunai in an instant. Doto looked at the bloody sight and began to laugh in twisted glee. Yakumo and Koyuki looked at the result of the kunai launcher with equal amounts of horror. Just as it seemed that everyone was dead, Sandayu slowly stood covered in kunai and breathing harshly. He stood and faced the launcher as it fired again. The kunai sped towards Sandayu to be the finishing blow but they never reached as wall of reinforced chakra paper shielded the man.

Konan, Hinata, and Sakura appeared next to Sandayu. Konan slowly lowered the old man to the ground while Sakura and Hinata threw kunai attached with explosive notes at the train. Doto frowned at the explosions that resulted and returned with Nadare into the train as it took off before it could sustain any more damage.

(Ten Minutes Later)

Yakumo, Sakura, and Hinata stood looking at the battlefield. The litter of dead bodies and bloody kunai were the result of Doto's cruelty. They watched as Konan and a few of the film crew brought forth the manager for Yukie Fugikaze on a stretcher and laid him at the feet of the actress.

Sandayu looked up at Koyuki, thankful that his last sight would be of the person that meant so much to his people. "Princess Koyuki, please forgive me. I never should have gotten you into this, I just wanted you to be the leader that I and so many other believe that you could be. Your life gave us and continues to give me hope. I just pray that you will believe in yourself like I do" the man said with a strained voice. Finished speaking, Sandayu surrendered his soul to the Shinigami and died.

Koyuki looked at the dead body of her manager with the same look that she always held. Cold indifference. "You were a fool Sandayu" Koyuki said before looking up at the crew and Leaf ninja. "I told you that it was pointless to try and stop Doto. I hope that you have gotten all the film that you need because I want to go home now" Koyuki said turning around and starting to leave the site.

Before she could get far, a large blimp rose into the air in front of the actress. Standing in an open door of the blimp, Mizore shot his chakra armor hand which flew and latched on to Koyuki before pulling her off of the mountain and to the blimp. Fubuki flew overhead dropping a number of kunai with beads attached. Once the kunai hit the ground, spikes of ice rose high preventing anyone from making any moves to go after the princess.

As the blimp floated away, Konan, Sakura, Hinata, and everyone else got situated. Konan and Sakura stayed on high alert before making sure that everyone was okay. Hinata looked around examining their surroundings before noticing something. "Um Konan sensei, where is Yakumo?" Hinata asked. The question made Konan tilt her head in confusion and looked around before her eyes widened and she looked off towards the blimp that was beyond them. "Damn her" Konan said in frustration.

"I'm afraid that a missing student is the least of your problems Konan" said a voice nearby causing everyone to turn around. Standing in the snow with a smirk was Sashira, the number two swordsman of the Shinigami's Blade.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo held on tightly to the rope that was connected the the kunai she had lodged into the blimp. She didn't know when or why she had immediately gone after the blimp, it was just a automatic reaction. Not focusing on the fact that if she fell she would die, Yakumo began to climb the rope. Slowly, the brunette climbed in her effort to save Koyuki.

(Koyuki)

Koyuki sat inside of the blimp looking at the ground while Doto stood in front of her with a smile.

"You've become quite beautiful Koyuki. It's so good to see you again" the man said walking forward. Stopping just in front of her, he rubbed his hand along her face until jerked her head away. Doto chuckled at that. "I will get to the point Koyuki, I want the Hex Crystal. You see, when I took over as the leader of the Snow, I found that the Kazahana clan no longer had any resources. I was furious when I found out, but over the years I learned that I shouldn't be angry because it was not that our resources were depleted, they were hidden. You see, your father hid away all of the treasure accumulated by the Kazahana clan in one location. The Rainbow Glacier" Doto said.

Koyuki continued to look at the ground disinterestedly. "I don't see why that concerns me" the princess said in a dead tone.

Doto smiled at her answer. "It concerns you because of the gift that your father gave you so many years ago. In the Rainbow Glacier, there is a keyhole, one shaped exactly like the Hex Crystal. I will need the Hex Crystal in order to retrieve the treasures that are rightfully mine" he said.

Koyuki sighed at his words and grabbed the Hex Crystal that hung from her neck. Ripping it off, she tossed it to her twisted uncle who caught it with one hand. The man examined it before smiling and giving a nod of thanks. "There, you have the Hex Crystal. May I go back now?" Koyuki asked wanting to go home as quick as possible but felt a pang of fear as Doto's smile turned dark.

"I thank you Koyuki for your cooperation. As for you leaving, I'm afraid that will not be possible" Doto said leaning closer to Koyuki. Before the woman could ask why, Doto once again ran his hand down her face. "You have become so very beautiful Koyuki" he said, his evil grin growing as Koyuki's eyes widened in fear.

"Take your hands off of her creep" said a voice that caused both to turn around. Yakumo stood panting and preparing for a fight. She was exhausted, her chakra was running low, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay standing but she stood all the same. "Koyuki come on, we're leaving" the brunette said but wasn't able to say anything else as a series of chakra strings wrapped around her. Mizore who had been standing above her jumped down behind her and forced her to the ground. Too tired to resist, Yakumo just growled at her oppressor.

Doto smirked at the sight of the Leaf chunin on the ground. "It seems that we have a stowaway. Nadare, I do believe that we have found the perfect test subject for our new device" he said getting a grin out of Nadare. The blue haired Snow ninja opened a panel on the wall and took out a gear shaped device. Walking towards the girl, he separated the device in half and placed it forcefully on Yakumo's stomach. The device latched onto the girl and then sent a surge of electricity causing Yakumo to scream out in pain before passing out.

Koyuki looked at the unconscious girl before looking at Doto. "That is our new chakra restraining device. It absorbs a person's chakra and the places a barrier around it. I'm sorry to say that your rescue will not be happening any time soon. Don't worry about the girl, I won't kill her. After all, she will provide a very pleasant form of entertainment for me" Doto said before turning to a Snow ninja piloting the blimp. "Bring us to the fort. We'll touch down there, regather ourselves, and then move on to the Rainbow Glacier" Doto said before turning to Yakumo with his dark smile returning.

* * *

(Konan)

Konan examined the woman who stood away from her. She had white braided hair, wore a small blue coat and ANBU pants, and had a sword at her side. Konan could feel that this woman radiated a large amount of power. "Everyone leave" Konan said, her eyes never leaving the woman with the sword. The film crew obeyed the order, but Sakura and Hinata stayed. "I'm sorry Konan sensei, but Leaf ninja do not abandon their comrades" Sakura said as she took a fighting stance while Hinata nodded and got into her Gentle Fist pose.

The blue haired jounin shook her head. "That is an order. This is way above your level now get back NOW" Konan growled out. The girls hesitated but slowly nodded and jumped back a short distance just in case their commanding jounin needed help.

Sashira smiled at Konan. "Now now Konan, we don't need to fight" Sashira said causing Konan to narrow her eyes.

"How do you know my name?" Konan shouted which caused Sashira's smile to widen.

"Sera and I were very close when she was a part of our group. She was my best friend. We shared many stories about our lives. Many of hers included adventures that she had with her sister" Sashira explained, and sighed seeing Konan become obviously angry. "For the record, we didn't kill Sera. We didn't even attack her, she attacked us. When she left, she tried to kill our leader and came somewhat close but failed nonetheless. The death of her is on her living legacy, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Anyway, we don't have to fight, just give me what I want and I will be out of your hair" Sashira said.

Konan was shaking in anger. Here was a member of the Shinigami's Blade, someone who was responsible for so many of her friends' deaths, the destruction of her former group, and a member of the group that would have been the death of Sera had Naruto not done what he did. Here that woman stood, daring to call herself a friend to her beloved sister. "What is it that you want?" Konan growled out.

Sashira smiled at the question. "I want the Gobi and the Yonbi. Before the destruction of the Akatsuki, you were able to capture the four and five tailed beasts. At the time of your group's elimination, you compressed and sealed their essences, a nifty trick that very few know how to do. Something that I know it took Sera a long time to master. You thought that we wouldn't notice, but we were just waiting for the right moment. Now, I will be taking the tailed beasts now" she stated.

The blue haired ninja gritted her teeth. "Over my dead body" the ninja said before closing her eyes and concentrating. Finding her chakra, she moved it along and out of her hands. The chakra stretched out of her hands before forming two chakra blades similar to the chakra scalpel only bigger and more powerful. The sight of this caused Sashira to shake her head and unsheathe her blade. Out of the blue and white sheath came a blueish gray bladed katana.

For a second, neither woman moved. Then at the same time, both dashed forward and their blades met. Konan looked into Sashira's eyes with pure hatred and fury while Sashira just kept her confident smirk on her face. "You're out of your league Konan, you know that" the white haired swordsman said pushing her blade forward and knocking Konan back. "All I want are the four and five tails. Are they truly worth your life? Just give them to me and I will leave" Sashira said holding out her hand.

Konan grit her teeth in anger. "You and your group massacred my friends, threatened my new home, and are responsible for my sister's death. I would rather die than help you" Konan said standing straight. She noticed Sashira's smirk disappear and clench her blade tightly.

"I didn't kill Sera. As a matter of fact, if it were my decision I would have killed that boy already to avenge Sera. He is an insult to her memory, a memory that you apparently don't care about" Sashira said. Her words were the last straw as Konan screamed in rage and rushed at her with her chakra blades poised to kill.

Sashira brought her sword up and waited until Konan was close, too close. At the last second, Sashira dashed forward and ended up behind Konan without being hit by her. Konan stopped when she saw Sashira vanish and turned to see the woman before she felt a pain in both of her arms. Looking down, she saw two gashes, one on the left arm and one on the right. Sashira stared at Konan with a dark look, no longer one of a confident smirk. "When I said that you are out of your league, I meant it. I am the number two swordsman of the Shinigami's Blade for a reason. With every strike I land with my sword, another strike lands on the exact opposite side of the initial attack. With two strikes, I could dismember both of your arms and legs. One strike to the right side of your chest and the second goes through your heart killing you. Only one person has ever beat me in a duel, my and soon to be everyone's leader. Now, this is the last time I will ask for the tailed beasts" Sashira said in a stern tone.

Konan looked at Sashira as her mind was going into overdrive. The swordsman in front of her had known just where to strike in order to end any future sword battle as she would not be able to move her arms free enough to use her chakra blades in battle. Slowly she recalled the chakra blades back into her chakra pathways and started a quick series of handsigns before shouting "Dance of the Shikigami". A vortex of paper surrounded Sashira. The white haired swordsman looked around with a bored expression before noticing that there were a few papers with what seemed to be explosive notes attached to them. Before Sashira could react, the first explosion went of which triggered a series of more explosive notes.

The blue haired jounin examined from a distance as the smoke started to clear hoping that the attack did its job and killed the Shinigami's Blade member. Before the smoke could clear however, Sashira appeared directly in front of Konan and grabbed the woman by her throat. Sashira didn't have a scratch on her but her eyes held a murderous glare. "Enough games" the white haired woman growled out as she stabbed her sword into the left side of Konan which incurred a right stab wound as well. The stab didn't hit anything crucial and was not meant to kill. Lifting Konan higher and holding her throat a little tighter, Sashira sliced Konan's right arm, then her left shoulder, then her right leg before dropping her onto the snow and letting her wounds stain the ice she lay on. Five total attacks by Sashira left Konan with ten sword wounds and a bleeding mess.

Kneeling down to Konan, Sashira turned over the woman and opened her coat. Hanging on a necklace that was around Konan's neck were two orbs, one cloudy white and the other one completely red. Ripping the necklace from the woman, Sashira stood up and started to leave when she felt a hand weakly holding on to her ankle. Sashira freed her foot and stomped on to Konan's hand hard breaking the hand. Without turning around, Sashira addressed Konan. "The only reason I spare you today is because of your sister. I loved her and I will not kill you today solely because of the fact that you were sisters. If you cross me in the future, there will be no more mercy for you so consider today a blessing" the white haired swordsman said before walking away.

"Naruto will stop you. He will not let your pathetic group win" Konan said weakly causing Sashira to turn and for the first time give a truly evil smile.

Sashira started to laugh at the wounded woman in front of her's words before getting the finishing word. "The dead cannot stop what we have planned" Sashira said with a chuckle before vanishing in a shunshin leaving Konan with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. The blue haired ninja hardly noticed when Sakura and Hinata appeared beside her as the two got to work healing her wounds, instead focusing on Sashira's last words. It wasn't possible, but the woman sounded so sure of it.

* * *

(Snow Fortress Prison Cell)

Yakumo was chained from the ceiling. Both hands and legs were chained. She had tried getting out of the chains using chakra but every time she did, electricity surged through her body bringing about extreme pain. She was trying to think of a way out of her prison when she saw a small group of guards escorting Koyuki into the prison cell across from her. She watched as Koyuki walked into her cell and sat on the cold floor. The woman looked at the floor with dead eyes before turning her attention to the girl in chains. "I told you that there was no point in trying to defy Doto. It serves you right" the woman said getting a growl out of Yakumo.

"I am so sick and tired of your bitchy pathetic attitude. I don't know why you are like this but maybe you should just shut the fuck up about giving up because it's not happening" Yakumo said, her voice getting louder with each word. When she was finished, there was a long moment of silence before Koyuki spoke.

"You can see it in the spring. My father told me those words many years ago. He told me that the spring was like running through an endless field of flowers and that as long as I never gave up then the spring would come. But it never did and Snow is still as much of a frozen wasteland as it always was. I no longer believe that the spring will come to this land. So I tell you once again that there is no point in believing that things will change. Just give up" Koyuki said in a cold tone.

Yakumo narrowed her eyes at Koyuki before going limp and looking down. "It would be easy to give up wouldn't it? For so long, I was hurting at home. I was considered a freak, people stayed away from me for reasons out of my control. That pain hurt my heart worse and worse everyday. Eventually, I stopped trying to be social with others to avoid the hurt. I was giving up" Yakumo said as she started to rise. Pulling herself up, a surge of electricity went through her body making her scream but she kept pulling. "Just as I thought that it was all pointless, I met people who started to care about me" she said with flashes of Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, and Konan going through her mind. Another surge of electricity went through as she started to try and break her handcuffs apart. "They saved me from myself and from then on, I swore to never give up as long as I lived" Yakumo said with tears falling as another surge went through her. "Your father and Sandayu were not wrong. Never give up and your dreams will eventually become a reality. I will prove that to you" she yelled out as electricity coursed through her body even more as she pulled with all her might.

Koyuki's eyes widened at what she was seeing. This girl was suffering substantial amounts of pain yet she kept trying to get out no matter how bad it hurt. She watched as Yakumo gave one last shout before breaking her handcuffs apart and falling to the ground. The brunette chunin slowly rose and bit her thumb before rubbing the blood on her arm. A poof of smoke later and Yakumo was holding "Graceful Lily". In an instant, Yakumo cut the chains around her ankles off with her scythe before standing up straight and looking at the bars in front of her. Raising her scythe, she swung her blade with a heavy swing. Five seconds later, the bars blew forwards letting Yakumo free. The girl smirked at the result before slowly walking to the front of Koyuki's cell. "Stand back" said the genjutsu master. When she determined that Koyuki was safe, Yakumo swung her scythe less forcefully but forceful enough to cut through the bars creating an exit.

Now that Koyuki was free, Yakumo turned around and breathed heavily while Koyuki came to stand next to the girl. Yakumo looked up before lowering herself so that Koyuki could get on her back. The brown haired girl grunted as she stood and looked up. "I'm serious about that diet thing Princess because I'm getting tired of carrying you" Yakumo said before jumping with all of her might high enough to land on a walkway. Once the two landed, Koyuki got off of the girl's back and wondered what their next move was. Yakumo sensing Koyuki's confusion sighed. "Listen, I know that you're scared but we need to find Doto and get that Hex Crystal back. Got it?" she asked in a stern tone which got a hesitant nod from the actress. Reaching into her pockets, Yakumo got an idea as she pulled out four explosive notes. "Time to let the team know where we are" Yakumo said with a scary smile as she threw one explosive note up, one down, one to the left, and one to the right. Turning to Koyuki, Yakumo grabbed the woman's hand before shouting "Run".

The pair made their way through the fortress quickly based solely on luck. They were lucky that the patrols had not come across them yet and they were lucky that there were signs that led to where they assumed Doto was. As they started to get close, four loud explosions went off a good distance away from them. Each explosion caused Yakumo to giggle.

(Ten Minutes Later)

Yakumo and Koyuki walked into what could be described as Doto's throne room. The man sat in the dimly lit room with a frown marring his face. "I take it that you believe that you can kill me now. If so, you are sorely mistaken" Doto said as he stood with a dark look directed at the two girls. Yakumo chuckled at his words.

"You know, the Yondaime Mizukage said something similar before me and my teammates killed him and liberated Kiri. I don't think that you compare to Yagura so if I were you I would be thinking of reasons that I would possibly spare you" Yakumo said raising "Graceful Lily".

Doto laughed at her words. "You may be strong, but the Chakra Restraint is still on you so all that bravado and confidence is for naught. But do not worry, I won't kill you. No, instead you will be used as entertainment and fun for my soldiers until there is nothing left of you. Now Nadare if you would?" Doto said confusing Yakumo until the blue haired Snow ninja appeared behind Koyuki, grabbed her, and appeared beside Doto giving the woman to him. Doto smirked before removing his robe revealing a suit of chakra armor underneath. Grabbing his niece tightly, he activated the wings on his armor and took off into the air.

Yakumo quickly threw a kunai wrapped in ninja wire to Koyuki who caught it and held on tightly as Yakumo rose with her and Doto. As the three flew over a forest of trees, Doto looked down and saw Yakumo holding on to a wire held by Koyuki. Scowling, he took one of his own kunai and cut the wire sending the girl falling to the distant ground below. When the wire was cut, the last thing Yakumo heard was Koyuki screaming her name as she went down.

* * *

(Near the Fortress)

Sakura, Hinata, and the film crew drove along the road in the direction of where the blimp that contained Yakumo and Koyuki went. Konan sat with the director's assistant trying to rest as best she could. Sakura had done a good patch job for a newly minted medic. Luckily for Konan, Sashira's strikes were used really just to temporarily disable her not seriously injure her. Still, the attacks hurt like hell and the ease at which Sashira beat her was humiliating and infuriating but Konan kept it in. Looking at the night sky, she sighed. They had been driving for hours trying to find Yakumo and Koyuki but her student was not the focus of Konan's thoughts at the moment. Her thoughts instead lingered on Sashira's words about Naruto. She had to have just been trying to mess with her mind. But what if it wasn't just hollow manipulative words. Before Konan could think anymore on it, an explosion sounded nearby causing everyone to stop.

Konan slowly got off of the truck she was riding on and tried to sense her apprentice's chakra signature but for some reason couldn't find it. Shaking her head, the blue haired woman knew that her student was the one responsible for the explosion. Focusing more, Konan was able to sense out the Snow ninja from before. Turning to Sakura and Hinata, she said "Girls' let's go" before taking off as quickly as she could. Hinata and Sakura nodded before taking off behind their commanding jounin leaving the film crew alone and wondering what they should do.

If the three kunoitchi had waited a few moments longer then they would have seen what the film crew luckily saw. The forms of Doto and Koyuki flying as Yakumo fell into the trees nearby. Seeing what had just happened, the film crew looked for where the Konoha kunoitchi were so that they could tell them that they found Yakumo but the three were out of sight already. Making a decision, the director pointed in the direction of the fallen girl and the movie truck moved onward.

* * *

(Konan, Hinata, and Sakura)

The three kunoitchi were able to make it to the area surrounding the fortress quickly. Stopping to examine the fortress on fire, no doubt Yakumo's doing, Konan kept her focus to try and keep track of the three Snow ninja. Just as she started to feel something, a small number of kunai with beads attached flew at the three Konoha nin. All three dodged quickly and having experienced the beaded kunai before, they were able to easily avoid the spikes of ice the rose when the kunai hit the snow.

Konan stood her ground while Hinata entered her Gentle Fist stance and Sakura entered her battle stance. They waited in silence among the trees for a short time before Fubuki came into view using her chakra armor to fly towards the three. As the three prepared for Fubuki, they were taken off guard when a metal fist slammed into Sakura's face. Mizore exited a group of trees with an odd smile that just seemed out of place. "Now Miss, I do believe that we have some unfinished business" said a voice behind Konan and Hinata causing them to both turn around.

Nadare Roga stood with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face as he stood looking at Konan. Mizore stood at a good distance from the Konoha nin as did Fubuki. "Fubuki, Mizore, finish off the kids. I'll be taking our blue haired beauty" he said before pulling out a kunai and licking his lips.

Konan turned to Hinata and a rising Sakura. "Girls, take those two out of here, I'll try to return to assist you as soon as possible" Konan said before looking them both in the eyes. "I believe in you" the blue haired woman said before entering her stance. She didn't even turn her head to make sure that Hinata and Sakura left. They were smart girls and good kunoitchi, that's why she was confident that the two would succeed in beating Mizore and Fubuki. Narrowing her eyes at her opponent, she noticed that his smirk had not fallen. "I've had a very very bad day which is unfortunate for you. I need to blow off some steam and beating you to a bloody pulp sounds about as relaxing as a day at the spa. Afterwards, you are going to tell me what has become of my apprentice" Konan said rolling her neck.

Konan's words only made Nadare's smirk grow wider. "You are quite optimistic for someone who was forced to flee from our last meeting" Nadare said as he cracked his knuckles. "Let's begin, because by the end of this you will be begging me for mer-" he said but was interrupted as a sharp pain was felt in his side. Looking down, he saw a bloody spear of paper. When he looked back up, he saw the blue haired ninja he had been talking to disperse into hundreds of sheets of paper.

From behind, Konan pushed the spear deeper. "Like I said, it's been a rough day for me so I'm not in an entertaining mood. This fight is over. Now while my genin kick your fellow Snow ninja's asses, you and I are going to have a very short chat. Cooperate and you live. Resist and I will slowly gut you open" she said before grabbing Nadare's neck and flipping him making him land roughly on his back. She followed up the flip with a smash of her heel on his chest which easily broke a few of Nadare's ribs causing the man to gasp in pain. Konan squatted just above the man and removed a kunai. "Let's begin".

(Hinata and Sakura)

Hinata stood in the trees as she waited for Fubuki while Sakura stood in the snow on the ground waiting for Mizore. The two had managed to lose the Snow ninja for a moment and find a good spot to defend. Hinata had her Byakugan activated and ready for the blue haired Snow nin while Sakura had her fists clenched, excited to pay back Mizore for his cheap shot.

Fubuki was the first to enter the area as she flew through the trees taking Hinata with her into the air. The two went high above the treetop and out of view of Sakura. When she lost sight of her teammate, Sakura simply reentered her stance and waited for the large man to come into sight. A second after the kunoitchi readied herself, Mizore entered the area on a speeding snow board with the intent of colliding with Sakura. Gritting her teeth, Sakura raised her fist in the sky and then brought it down onto the ground hard. The result was that a large crack formed on the impact area and immediately continued towards Mizore. Unable to avoid the incoming crack, he was thrown from his board as the ground shifted beneath him.

Hinata and Fubuki tussled in mid air before Hinata was able to get leverage by grabbing Fubuki's hair and pulling it. With her grip still on the woman's hair, Hinata threw Fubuki downwards and reinforced the fall by slamming her leg into the Snow ninja's chest speeding up both of their falls. As the two sped down, Hinata was able to use Fubuki's chest as a jumping point to perform a back flip and land on her feet on the ground. Fubuki however continued to fall at an even faster rate before making impact with a dazed Mizore who was getting up from his snowboarding accident. When Fubuki landed on Mizore, a light show of electricity flashed which led to them both being knocked from consciousness.

Sakura stared at the two unconscious Snow ninja for a few seconds before looking at Hinata and nodding with a smile which gained a smile and nod in return. Before the two could do anything more, Konan entered the area with a substantial amount of blood on her jounin vest and arms. The blue haired jounin took a few seconds to examine the work of Sakura and Hinata before speaking. "We need to get to the Rainbow Glacier. Yakumo and Koyuki will be there" the bluenette said before dashing quickly in the direction of the Rainbow Glacier with the girls following quickly behind.

* * *

(Yakumo)

Yakumo sat in the director's truck as the went to the Rainbow Glacier. She was lucky that the film crew had seen her fall and she was also lucky that the Rainbow Glacier was close by. Yakumo hoped that Sakura and Hinata were alright but knowing that they were being protected by her master was a great deal of comfort for her mind.

Coming into the glacier, Yakumo saw Doto standing over a downed Koyuki and also noticed that the air around them was almost warm instead of freezing like a glacier should be. She jumped off of the truck while it was still moving and took off on her feet. Speeding to Doto as fast as she could, she tried to pump chakra into her legs only to suffer an excruciating shock sending her to the ground. Groaning from her spot on the ice, she tried to muster up the energy to get up but her body just wouldn't move. Laying back on the ground, she stopped struggling and thought of how easy it would be to just stay where she was and let someone else take care of the issue.

"Pathetic" said a dark voice from within Yakumo's head causing her to grimace. "I have stayed out of your consciousness because you have not done anything that would require me to enter into it until now. You speak of never giving up yet her you lie because of a little shock. Do you think that this would keep Konan down? Do you think it would keep your teammates down?" the voice said making Yakumo think about the people who were most important to her and what they would do. She shook her head as best as she could from her spot. "Good, now get up, kill that man, and free this country!" the voice said.

Yakumo stood up shakily. When she looked forward, she was met with the sight of a large dark ice dragon heading straight for her. The impact was harsh and sent her flying while Doto laughed at the sight in the distance. Koyuki looked at Yakumo who was now flat on her back and thought of the pointlessness of it all before shaking her head. "Yakumo, don't give up! I believe in you!" the princess shouted before being backhanded by her uncle.

Doto looked at the girl below him with a glare. "Do not speak unless I permit it" he said before kneeling down to her level and smiling a sinister grin. "I would hate to damage that pretty face anymore" he said as he caressed the spot he had just hit. Koyuki's response was to spit in his face which only served to anger him further. He raised his hand to hit her again but stopped when he felt a burst of chakra nearby. Looking in the direction of the chakra, he was surprised to see Yakumo standing with her scythe out. The edges of the blade were glowing blue and the device on her chest was cracked and obviously broken.

Yakumo gritted her teeth as she tasted her own blood. Taking a short moment to regulate her breathing, she immediately dashed towards Doto. The large man did a series of quick handsigns and shouted "Twin Dragon Blizzard" as two dark ice dragons flew towards the brunette. Yakumo simply sped up before jumping high into the air. As the dragons neared her in the air, she swung her scythe down with a loud shout completely disrupting the jutsu. When she landed, Doto ran towards her and swung his armored fist. Yakumo bent backwards and launched a heavy kick up impacting his chin and sending him backwards onto his back. When the man rose, he had a small line of blood running down the side of his mouth and was growling angrily.

Doto ran forwards again and launched a punch at Yakumo which again missed. He continued to swing and swing only to continuously miss. As he kept swinging, his attacks became slower and slower. Before long, Yakumo was dodging the attacks with an amused grin. The man had exhausted himself pretty quickly. Deciding that she had toyed with the man enough, Yakumo dodged a punch and swung her fist hard into Doto's eye knocking him onto the ground. "That was for Sosetsu" she said walking up to the downed man. Standing above Doto, she kicked an unguarded area of his side as hard as she could causing the man to grunt in pain. "That was for Sandayu" Yakumo said. Once again walking up to his tired body, she picked the man up and put him in a kneeling position. Raising her scythe, she stared the man in the eyes and found the sight that she had been waiting for. A look of fear showed on Doto's face and it made Yakumo smile widely. "And this is for the Land of Snow. Give the Shinigami my regards" were the last words that Doto ever heard as the Konoha chunin brought her scythe down and decapitated the evil ruler.

Yakumo stared at the body and the blood that now stained the ice before looking at Koyuki. "Are you okay Koyuki?" the chunin asked to which Koyuki nodded before standing up and coming to stand beside the girl.

"You have saved my country" Koyuki said still looking at the dead body of Doto. Yakumo shook her head at Koyuki's words. "All I did was kill its leader. It will be your duty to save it. The Land of Snow needs you and whether you want to admit it or not, you need the Land of Snow" Yakumo said as both looked up at the sun that was now rising. After a long gaze into the sunrise, they were brought out of it by the sounds of gasps from the movie crew nearby. Looking back down, they saw fields of beautiful green grass instead of the ice cold glaciers that had surrounded them only moments ago. The icy columns that surrounded the glacier were no longer covered in ice but were now revealed to be giant mirrors. Koyuki examined the beautiful area around her with an amazed look before she saw the most wonderful rainbow that shined in the blue sky. And for the first time since the death of her father, she cried.

* * *

(Two Days Later Land of Snow City Center)

Koyuki stood in her daimyo's robes beside the Konoha group. In the short time since the death of Doto, she had become the official daimyo of the Snow and the experimental heat generator that resided on the Rainbow Glacier had started to drastically improve the environment of the country. Looking at the group of Konoha ninja, Koyuki smiled. "There really are no words to express how grateful not only I but my country as a whole are. With what we know about our heat generator already, we should be able to create an even better and more advanced one. Soon, instead of the Land of Snow we will be known as the Land of Spring and it's all thanks to you" she said with a genuine smile.

The kunoitchi smiled. Konan stepped forward to address the daimyo. "Lady Koyuki, I hope that there will perhaps be talks of a treaty between our two nations in the future" Konan said to which Koyuki nodded still smiling. "Oh yes, I will have sent the request to your Hokage within the week and I look forward to our potential alliance" she said before looking at Yakumo. "I also look forward to meeting this beloved boyfriend of yours that you have told me about for two days straight" the Spring daimyo said causing Yakumo to blush, Sakura and Hinata to giggle, but Konan to look away with a slightly concerned look.

After the group finished talking, the Konoha ninja started to leave but Yakumo looked back and saw Koyuki surrounded by a group of child fans who wanted her autograph. The genjutsu master smiled when instead of the Koyuki they initially met who shoved away fans, she had transformed into a compassionate and kind figure. With a smile, Yakumo turned and with her team left for Konoha.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your patience. I've gotten so much support for this story and I hate that I haven't updated in so long but all of you have been the best about it. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I hope that you will leave a review because I learn a lot from them. Well, I will see you all next chapter :)


	37. A Vision of Titans

LordofTerror: I completely understand. I tried to kind of mellow out the group because honestly as strong as they are, Yakumo and Konan or just one of them could take care of this mission. But I see where you're coming from and I'm glad that you liked the other parts. Hopefully you will like this chapter better.

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you like this chapter even more.

1995hzq: I'm happy that you liked the Koyuki chapter and I agree about Jiraiya. In the anime, I liked him, but he just doesn't fit in for this story.

Animaman: After reading the first couple of sentences of your review, I immediately began thinking that your reaction to this chapter is going to be quite interesting. For Tsunade and the academy, I think that I might handle it like he got caught up in the mix with the other kids. The question of family will definitely be coming up as the story progresses. As for your question about anyone being worse than Jiraiya, that's kind of hard to answer. The villagers are more focused on the twins' status and how they can use them to reach their goals. Jiraiya was more focused on the twins' abilities and part that they had to play in order to reach his goal of world peace.

Nssheepster: I had to tone down the characters for the Koyuki mission because that movie takes place while everyone is a genin meanwhile the Shion movie takes place years later. So I had to keep the Land of Snow group from being to overkill.

zerochrisjayv: Hopefully you will continue to enjoy it.

Aww: Well you probably haven't read this far but I will say that I realized that I may have made a mistake in how soon Naruto forgave his parents and I'm trying to fix it.

NazgulBelserion: I started the fanfic with the intention of making it a neglect fic where he comes back and shoves how strong he is in everyone's faces, but that quickly changed. I hadn't really considered making him a ronin.

* * *

The sky was black and smoke was rising. Large areas of land nearby were now molten lava. Shion looked at the sight in horror while a dark haired leaf ninja in a chunin vest was on his knees next to her. The boy's jaw was dropped and his eyes were widened in disbelief. His entire body started to shake before his eyes transformed to have a red six sided star in his eyes. He tried to stand up but failed which got Shion to rush to his side. Seeming to not notice her presence, the dark haired boy continued to try and stand before he screamed out "NARUTO!" in a desperate cry.

(Shion's Room)

Shion's eyes opened as her vision ended. She lowly sat up and looked lifelessly at the ground moments before the sounds of battle commenced outside of her room. Her own guardians were currently fighting and dying to protect her while she continued to sit and just stare at the ground. Before long, four figures made their way into her chamber and she only slightly noticed that there was still one guardian willing to lay down his life standing right in front of her. Holding up the sword, the man prepared to fight to the death as the four enemies advanced but everyone stopped as a single kunai landed in between the two sides. Not a second after the kunai lodged itself into the wooden floor there was a flash that caused those in the room to raise their arms to their eyes. When the light died down, they were met with the sight of a blonde teen standing tall with a bored expression on his face.

Naruto stood examining the four figures who he figured to be assassins. Looking them over quickly, he shook his head and sighed. "Look, I'm not really in the mood to play games and I've got bigger fish to fry. Now I'm guessing that you four work for Yomi?" Naruto asked and smirked when he received no verbal answer but instead four glares from the assassins. "Good, that saves me some time. Now, how about you tell me where he is and in turn I don't beat you to a bloody pulp" the blonde said cracking his knuckles and barely noticing Shion and her guard escape through a panel behind him. The assassins readied in their stances and prepared to come after the boy but just as they were about to move, their opponent exploded in front of them knocking them out of the area.

(Roof of Palace)

From the rooftop of a nearby building, Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, and Kakashi watched as the four assassins slowly got up. Itachi turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "Naruto and Sasuke, take care of them and try to keep them alive. Kakashi, summon a tracking dog so that we can meet up with the priestess" the elder Uchiha said getting nods from each of the Konoha ninja.

As the assassins got up, they looked up just in time to see Naruto and Sasuke land lightly on the ground in front of them with their arms crossed. The two chunin started to approach the four enemies causing the four to quickly jump up and assume their battle positions. "Setsuna, Gitai, Shizuku, end them with an earth wind fire combo" the apparent leader known as Kusuna ordered getting nods from his company. A man with a cloth covering the lower half of his face known as Gitai stepped forward and slammed his fists into the ground shouting, "Earthen Corridor" which caused the ground to quickly rise around the two Konoha ninja who stood with a bored look on their faces. In a matter of seconds, a large dome of earth covered Naruto and Sasuke. The leader watched as his fellow assassin cast his jutsu and smirked. "I'll leave them to you and go ahead to find the priestess" the leader said before jumping away and speeding off.

The dome that held Naruto and Sasuke had a narrow opening which was perfect for the assassins as an orange haired one known as Shizuku stepped forward and did a series of moves that ended with him shouting "Fire Style: Fire Run" and sending a ring of fire into the opening. The final member of the group who had noticeable purple hair known as Setsuna stepped up next and said "Wind Style: Divine Current" before thrusting his hands forward sending a strong stream of air into the dome as well. The result was a powerful and fiery explosion that rocked the earth dome. Each member of the trio chuckled at the power of their combined jutsu but it quickly ended as the smoke cleared and revealed the two Konoha ninja surrounded in a small sphere of water without a scratch on them.

Once the explosion ended, the water sphere dropped and Naruto and Sasuke stood tall. Naruto shook his head while Sasuke's eye was twitching. The Uchiha turned to his teammate with an angry look. "You idiot, I could have just forced their jutsu back at them. Now look at us, we're soaking wet and it's all your fault" Sasuke said before turning away from his friend and crossing his arms in an irritated manner. Naruto looked at his teammate with a glare but after a few moments, the glare transformed into an apologetic look as the blonde fell to his knees. "I'm sorry Sasuke, I should have thought about your feelings before I did that. I promise that it won't happen again and I'm sorry" Naruto said with tears forming in his eyes while Sasuke stood with his back to the blonde but started to shake slightly. A second later, Sasuke turned as tears were forming in his eyes. "No, I should be apologizing to you. You were only trying to protect us and I was being over dramatic" Sasuke said as Naruto stood up. The two looked at each other and sniffled. "Friends?" asked Sasuke to which Naruto nodded quickly, both with tears in their eyes. Immediately after making up, Naruto and Sasuke gave each other a bro hug.

A few feet away, the trio tasked with killing the two Konoha ninja just stared at the bizarre sight all the while wondering what in the hell they were seeing. The trio quickly refocused when Naruto and Sasuke ended their hug and turned to face them.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and both nodded. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished only to reappear a less than a second behind Setsuna and Gitai sending a powerful kick to their backs sending them flying. As they went off face first, the two Konoha chunin vanished once again and appeared where the two assassins were heading before slamming their fists into their faces slamming the two into the ground and effectively knocking the two out of the battle. Naruto and Sasuke took a moment to examine the state of their enemies and decide that they were alive before they slowly looked towards Shizuku who looked very nervous and was starting to take a few steps back.

As Shizuku slowly started to back up and prepare her escape, she felt her foot bump into something in the ground. The last thing she saw before being knocked out by a single punch was a tri pronged kunai.

* * *

(Nearby Waterfall)

On the back of her guard, Shion and the man slowly made their way to the base of the beautiful waterfall when Itachi and Kakashi appeared in front of them. The guard readied himself to defend the priestess.

Kakashi raised his hands with an eye smile. "Hey it's okay, we are here from the Hidden Leaf Village and are tasked with protecting Priestess Shion. You have noting to fear" the masked ninja assured calmly which caused the guard to relax slightly. The guard looked back at his priestess only to see her with glazed over eyes. In an instant, the guard realized what was happening. Shion was having a vision. "So he's going to revive himself" the guard heard Shion say quietly. With a frown, the guard looked back at the Leaf ninja. "I think that it's best we find a safer and more private place to discuss things" he said.

Itachi nodded. "I agree. Let's return to the palace, Naruto and Sasuke should be done by now" the Uchiha said before the group took off back to Shion's palace.

Nearby, Kusuna scowled at the news of Konoha involving themselves. "Yomi would like to know of this" the man muttered before leaving.

* * *

(One hour Later Shion's Palace)

Shion sat with a dull look in her eyes as her guard knelt near her and introduced her.

"Behold, Shion, Priestess of the Land of Demons" the guard said respectfully before looking at the four sitting Konoha ninja waiting for them to introduce themselves. One by one the Konoha ninja introduced themselves but her eyes narrowed when she looked upon the ones known as Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze.

The guard spoke after the four had introduced themselves. "Unfortunately, we lost many in the attack by the group sent by Yomi. It has been straining and unfortunately it fell true with a prediction made by Priestess Shion" the guard said solemnly.

Shion snorted. "Naturally I was correct, but as you can see I still breathe so I'm sure that they died without regrets" she said causing the two chunin to clench their fists and Sasuke to jump in front of her. The Uchiha had a clenched jaw and his eyes were narrowed. "Listen lady, those men sacrificed themselves for your life, the least that you could do is show them a little respect instead of acting like a little bitch" Sasuke said before getting a punch to the back of the head from his best friend.

"Sasuke, we've been over this about your temper and proper etiquette. Yes she may be acting like a spoiled, ungrateful, stupid, vicious, bitch, but we can't just say that out loud much less to her face" Naruto said loudly causing the guard's mouth to drop, Kakashi and Itachi to put their faces in their hands, and Shion's eye to twitch, all reactions to the continued barrage of insults towards her.

Shion abruptly stood up and walked a few steps forwards to stand in front of Naruto and Sasuke. "A horrible fate awaits you both. For you, a lifetime of grief and self-hatred" Shion said pointing at Sasuke causing him to frown. "As for you, your death is near" she said looking at Naruto who frowned as well. Before the two could respond, they were dragged roughly by their hair back to their spots courtesy of one Itachi Uchiha. Shion examined the group charged with protecting her before taking her leave and going off to her room.

The guard watched the priestess leave before turning to the group from Konoha with an apologetic look. "You must forgive her, Lady Shion often sees visions of other's deaths but you shouldn't let it bother you" the man said.

Naruto waved off the apology. "Eh don't worry about it, there's a lady in Konoha's red light district that predicts the same thing constantly. "Psychics" often get a little cranky when they are always wrong" Naruto said crossing his arms with a small smile. The smile dropped however when he saw the guard shake his head. "No, Lady Shion's visions have always been 100 percent correct to the very last detail but like I said don't let it bother you because worrying won't change the future" the man said.

Itachi took the opportunity to put his input. "Naruto, Sasuke, I would like for you two to shut up for now. It's bad enough that you two forgot to tie up the assassins. That is literally rule number one when capturing a prisoner so for now, shut it" Itachi irritatingly said making Naruto and Sasuke look down in embarrassment. He looked to the man with glasses. "Listen Taruho was it?" the Uchiha asked before continuing after receiving a nod from the man. "Okay Taruho, we need to get Shion to the shrine as soon as possible. The Stone Army is marching and if we don't hurry, Yomi will revive Moryo" Itachi said getting a solemn look from Taruho.

Taruho pushed up his glasses and looked at the Leaf ninja."I understand the situation, but I believe that it would be best to wait for more guards in order to assure Lady Shion's safety. You four may be strong, but I would rather not take any chances with the priestess. Her safety is my lifelong duty that must be upheld" Taruho said.

Before any of the Konoha ninja could argue, Shion walked into the room. "I'm ready to leave. After all, you can't beat fate so more security will not change anything" the blonde said as she gazed at the figures in the room. Her gaze lingered on Sasuke as a warm feeling started to swell in her stomach. She did remember herself trying to comfort him affectionately in her vision but she shook her head of the thoughts and looked at Taruho. "These four will attempt to guide me to the shrine, but you will stay behind Taruho" she said and raised her hand as the man stood up to object. "That is my will Taruho and your duty is to me" the blonde girl said. "I would like to leave now" Shion said over her shoulder and continued walking.

Itachi sighed and looked at Taruho. "Don't worry Taruho, we will protect her with our lives" he said getting a nod from Kakashi and confident smirks from Sasuke and Naruto. As the group stood up to leave, Sasuke took it upon himself to add to the assurance. "Yeah, and if these two don't convince you which is understandable, having two of the "Kage Killers" should provide all the comfort you need" Sasuke said as he and Naruto left, not seeing the even more nervous Taruho behind them.

* * *

(Yomi and his group)

Yomi stood looking at his four subordinates with a menacing glare. They had failed in their task to assassinate Shion and their window of killing her had just become that much smaller with the involvement of Konoha. The Stone Army was marching to the shrine where they would form a last line of defense in case things did not go according to plan but he doubted that things would go so wrong.

"Listen to me now" Yomi said getting Kusuna, Setsuna, Gitai, and Shizuku to raise their heads and meet his gaze. "The four of you will keep track of Shion and her protectors and when the moment is right, you will strike and kill her at all costs. Failure to do so will result in a death more painful than anything any of you could possibly fathom" he growled out causing the group in front of him to flinch and nod their heads quickly. "Go now, and do not disappoint me" Yomi ordered and the four assassins vanished as quickly as possible.

Turning around, Yomi looked at the sky. "Soon Moryo, soon you will be whole and the world will be yours" he said with a grin.

* * *

(Near the shrine)

From a fair distance, a man who had black hair that reached his shoulders and wore a red shirt and tan shorts stood watching as the Stone Army marched to their positions according to plan. His yellow eyes didn't blink as he leaned against his black serrated sword that was stuck in the ground. He looked at the stone soldiers and wondered exactly how effective they would be against his upcoming opponent. In all honesty, the man just wanted to fulfill the requirements of his resurrection and return to the afterlife. Many in his position would try to get as much as they could out of their new opportunity or try to find a way to prolong it, but he had known when he died that it was his time. Being alive for him seemed unnatural and the sooner he returned to his rightful place, the better.

He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Soon Serpent Summoner, I can feel your presence. Soon, you will die by my hand and I will return to the spiritual plane once more" the man said before standing straight up and pulling his sword out of the ground.

* * *

(Naruto's group)

Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Kakashi, and Shion were jumping through the trees on their way to the shrine in which Shion would seal Moryo. Sasuke had unfortunately drawn the short straw and was carrying the uppity priestess on his back with her making complaints on every jump that he made. Just as the four ninja were about to jump again, they stopped as an arrow flew into a nearby tree. Looking at one another, Naruto, Itachi, Kakashi, and Sasuke jumped to the ground earning a small squeal from Shion as they fell. When the four landed, Naruto and the two jounin looked around for the new presence while Sasuke was being hit on the back of his head by Shion for scaring her.

Taruho revealed himself shortly after the Konoha team landed with a determined look on his face. Itachi sighed at the man. He knew why Taruho was here but for the sake of conversation he had to ask, "What are you doing here Taruho?"

The glasses wearing guardian stepped forward. "I have dedicated my life to protecting Lady Shion and I will not waver in my duties. I may not be as powerful as you, but I will not hinder you and I will do whatever is necessary to protect the Priestess" Taruho said gripping his fists tightly.

Itachi eyed the man closely while thinking about the repercussions of what letting him tag along could lead to. "Taruho, we can't be responsible for your safety and we have to get to the shrine as soon as possible so we have no time to let you play keep up. I think that you should go back to the palace and"

"NO" interrupted Taruho cutting off Itachi causing the Konoha ninjas' eyes to widen. "I will not sit idly by and let others do the fighting while I do nothing. The assassins sent after Lady Shion killed many of my friends who shared the same duty as I do. I will carry on in their memory and I refuse to leave Lady Shion" Taruho said taking a step forward. "I will be going with you."

Itachi clenched his teeth for a moment. He was not used to being interrupted so thoughtlessly. Looking to his side at Kakashi, he saw the cyclops give him a short nod. Biting his lip and shaking his head he turned around and spoke. "Don't fall behind" the Uchiha said before the Konoha group took off, Taruho joining quickly behind them.

(10 Hours Later)

The Shion escort group sat near the edge of a cliff. It was now nighttime and Shion and Taruho were exhausted. Naruto and Sasuke were talking about battle strategies, Taruho was washing Shion's feet, and Itachi and Kakashi were looking over the cliff.

Itachi took a short breath as he looked out in the direction of the shrine. "Why did I let Taruho come along Kakashi? We could still be going but he is at his limit" Itachi said regretting his decision to let the guardian join them. Kakashi looked at his fellow jounin for a moment for a moment before looking back over the cliff. "It's because you understand duties greater than oneself better than anyone Itachi. Taruho would give his life for Shion without a second thought just like you would do the same with Konoha. Your loyalty to Konoha is among the strongest which is something that so many people admire about you when they look past your obvious skill. His undying loyalty to Shion mirrors your undying loyalty to Konoha" Kakashi said with an even tone.

The Uchiha looked down at the ground and nodded before looking up. "Kakashi, has the Hokage been acting somewhat different to you lately?" the Uchiha asked causing Kakashi to tilt his head in confusion. "He's been keeping me near him more than most of his other ninja and he's been talking to me about what it's like to be Hokage. Do you think that he feels endangered?" Itachi asked looking to the Hokage's student for an answer.

Kakashi looked at Itachi for a few seconds before chuckling and turning around to make his way back to where they had made camp. "Nope" the cyclops said walking away.

Nearby, Shion was looking away from Naruto and Sasuke with a disgusted look on her face. Naruto and Sasuke had been looking down at food that the priestess had thrown on the ground for being not good enough but now the two chunin were looking at the priestess with a look that said they were ready to strangle the girl.

"All of this food is cold. Make me something warm to eat" Shion said with a snobbish expression. Taruho continued to kneel before the priestess with an apologetic look. "I apologize Lady Shion but lighting a fire could alert those who intend to do you harm so I am afraid that we will have to make due for now" the man said still kneeling in front of the blond. Shion huffed at the apology and looked away. "Useless. I'm going to bed" the priestess said getting up and walking away.

(One Hour Later)

Taruho sat staring over the cliff in the direction of their end destination. He was surprised when the figures of Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha managed to sneak up on him but the surprise quickly died when he remembered who he was dealing with. "Is Lady Shion alright?" Taruho asked confused why the two strongest ninja in the group would leave their charge. The two Leaf jounin nodded in the affirmative and sat beside Taruho.

"Lady Shion is fine. As a matter of fact, she is probably the most safe person in the elemental nations at the moment so there is no need to worry" Itachi said looking up into the nighttime sky.

Taruho frowned and was about to argue before he was cut off by Kakashi. "Let me ask you Taruho why you think Konoha only chose four ninja, half of whom are merely chunin to go on this critical mission?" the masked jounin asked. After a moment of silence, Kakashi continued. "Itachi and I are both very famous and very dangerous ninja, but Naruto and Sasuke are something else. While they may act immature at times, when the chips are down they never fail. Those two along with their third teammate Yakumo are the proud future of Konoha and they will make sure that Shion survives this mission" Kakashi finished leaving Taruho momentarily speechless.

The glasses wearing guardian was silent in thought for a minute before looking up. "How did two children gain the power that you speak of?" Taruho asked to which Itachi sighed.

"Training and determination mixed with some things that I'm not at liberty to discuss. Like Kakashi said, there has yet to be a job too big for them to handle so don't be so wound up" Itachi said getting up to go back to the camp site. Kakashi nodded and followed his fellow jounin's actions while Taruho just sat thinking over what he had just been told.

After what seemed like hours but in reality was just one hour, Taruho stood up to return to the campsite but when he turned around, he was surprised to see Shion standing across from him. The man quickly got on a knee out of respect for the blonde girl but kept his eyes on her. "My Lady, what is it I may do for you?" Taruho asked ready to perform any action for his priestess.

Shion stared at the man with narrowed eyes before speaking. "I request that you leave and return home Taruho" Shion said shocking the man. "I will be escorted by the Leaf ninja so there is no need for you here" she said noticing the flinch and flash of hurt that went through his eyes. Before Taruho could argue, Shion raised her hand to silence the man. "I have made my decision Taruho and following me will only lead you to one thing. Death" Shion said coldly before turning and walking away not even giving Taruho the opportunity to speak.

(Five Hours Later)

The Shion protection group were speeding through the forest before coming to a series of rocks that rose from a river. Itachi signaled for the group to stop on one of the rocks. Looking around, Itachi motioned for Sasuke to put Shion down. "We are pretty close to the shrine as it is. Now Lady Shion, I've heard that the sealing jutsu that you will have to use is very taxing so we will stop for your sake" the Uchiha said.

Shion got off of Sasuke's back and crossed her arms with an displeased look on her face. "Whatever, just make sure that I make it to the shrine unharmed. That is after all what you are being paid for" the blonde said as she started to sit down, not even acknowledging the irritated look on Sasuke's face beside her. Sasuke quickly shook his head though remembering that a good shinobi always keeps his cool and reached into his ninja pouch. Kneeling down, the Uchiha offered Shion his flask of water. Shion turned to him and narrowed her eyes but took the water nonetheless.

Kakashi meanwhile was speaking with Naruto and Itachi.

"We should make it to the shrine by the end of the day and I don't think that we will run into those assassins that attacked the palace. They seemed to be more comfortable in using jutsu that amplified their own fire jutsu. Surrounded by water, I think we will be fine for now" the masked jounin said getting a nod from Itachi. Naruto however looked up and around before moving his sight to the distant area behind Itachi and Kakashi's backs.

"Um, not to be the bearer of bad news but we should probably move" Naruto said pointing behind Itachi and Kakashi. Both jounin quickly turned to see a massive water dragon speeding towards them intent on ending them. "Sasuke, get Shion now! Let's go everyone" Itachi quickly ordered before looking at fellow jounin. "Can you take care of this" Itachi asked. After getting a quick nod from Kakashi, the Uchiha jumped off to follow behind Naruto and Sasuke who were already making their way to higher ground.

Kakashi stepped forward a few steps and took a deep breath. Doing a series of quick handsigns, Kakashi forced a large amount of chakra out shouting "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu" and sent a water dragon almost as big as the one quickly approaching. The two dragons collided sending massive amounts of water everywhere including towards Kakashi's direction. The masked jounin was able to stick to the rock using chakra and def the torrent of water, but at the cost of a fair enough amount of chakra that left the man panting.

Meanwhile from above, Itachi had his sharingan activated and was quickly scanning the area while keeping an eye on Kakashi. Behind him, Naruto and Sasuke were in battle positions ready to protect Shion. After a few more seconds of searching, Itachi found what he was looking for. On a distant ridge were two of the assassins, the orange haired one and the one with the mask, who seemed to be responsible for the water dragon. Turning slightly, Itachi glanced at his two students. "Sasuke, Naruto, get Shion to the shrine. Kakashi and I will take care of things here" the older Uchiha said before running to where the assassins Shizuku and Gitai were. As he started his run, he noticed that Kakashi had recovered and had located the two as well.

(Naruto, Sasuke, and Shion)

Naruto immediately took off in the direction of the shrine as ordered. Sasuke lifted Shion up bridal style and quickly caught up to Naruto. "Naruto, what's the plan?" the Uchiha asked as he sped along with the blonde while ignoring the slight blush on Shion's face.

The blonde chunin was silent for a few seconds before the group came to another forest. "The attack was a diversion so keep your guard up. There were four assassins, and I think I only saw two at the ridge that Itachi sensei headed towards" Naruto said not missing a beat as the two ninja tree hopped while scanning every bit of forest that they could.

(Itachi)

Itachi ran quickly to engage Shizuku. Making it there in very short time, the Uchiha came to an abrupt stop. Ten feet away from him was Shizuku who had a leg raised in position with water starting to pool around her. Eyes widening for an instant, Itachi jumped back. "Damn it" the Uchiha muttered frustratingly as Shizuku shouted, "Water Style: Surface Slicer". Continuing to jump back, the sharp water jutsu sent by Shizuku followed close behind. Gritting his teeth, Itachi turned around and started to jump off into the forest to avoid the powerful jutsu but was followed by Shizuku who was skating on water that had formed beneath her feet.

Before too long the two came to a small clearing in the woods. Itachi stood slightly glaring at Shizuku while she had a maniacal smile on her face. "You know, I have never had the opportunity to see a sharingan in it's true form. Would you do me the favor of letting me see it before I kill you" she said laughing wildly. Shizuku stopped laughing however when she heard Itachi chuckling. Looking at him, she saw the Uchiha wearing an arrogant smug that the entire clan were infamous for. "Laugh all you want, by now your two little children and the priestess are dead now while you stand and joke with me" she said.

Itachi chuckled some more before letting his smirk slowly fall. "If I thought that any of you were a challenge for my brother and my student, then I wouldn't have left them alone. No, they will take care of your little obstacles but you shouldn't worry about that right now. As a matter of fact there is no need to worry about anything anymore for you have already sealed your fate" Itachi said going into battle mode.

Shizuku scowled before doing a series of quick handsigns. "Your words are nothing but that from a dead man Uchiha! Water Attack: Water Gorgon" the orange haired assassin shouted as a creature of water rose from the ground. The creature immediately targeted Itachi and flew after him with multiple streams of water breaking off and going around with the intention to attack the Uchiha from all sides. Itachi took a small breath and without any handsigns shouted "Great Fireball Jutsu" sending a massive fireball from his mouth that flew into the water creature. Even though the water jutsu provided some resistance, Itachi's attack was far more powerful as it pushed through the creature without diminishing its flames at all and slammed into a wide eyed and scared Shizuku.

The orange haired ninja flew back and hit a tree before falling face first onto the ground. Her body was smoking from the effects of the fireball and she laid without moving. Itachi walked cautiously to his opponent, his years in ANBU having taught him to never assume one is dead until you are sure. Coming to stand above the body of Shizuku, Itachi kneeled down slowly and pulled out his kunai. With a quick stab to the back of the head, Itachi assured the death of Shizuku and took off to find Sasuke, Naruto, and Shion.

(Kakashi)

Kakashi had made his way to Gitai after taking a short moment to recover. The masked jounin was slightly panting when he arrived at Gitai's location and immediately noticed that the man had surrounded himself in a rock-like armor. The assassin smiled at Kakashi before his arm expanded in size extremely and went after Kakashi. The jounin quickly jumped up to avoid the arm only to be hit by Gitai's other arm which had expanded into a rock structure as well. Gitai slammed his arm onto the downed Kakashi to crush him and end his life but growled when the Leaf ninja substituted himself with a nearby rock.

The Leaf jounin was slightly hunched over. He was rusty and on top of that, he had underestimated his opponent. Biting his lip behind his mask, the jounin reluctantly pulled up his headband revealing the implanted sharingan that had become his own eye.

Seeing Kakashi reveal his sharingan made Gitai smile wider as he could tell that the man was now taking the battle seriously. Unfortunately for Kakashi, it would be too little too late. Gitai chuckled with that thought in mind. "I see that you are finally ready to face me but it is a futile effort. You already used a lot of your chakra to defend against Shizuku's water dragon and I know about the toll that using the sharingan can take on the user. It's over for you" the masked man said before the ground rose and surrounded his body from the neck down. Gitai swung his massive arms repeatedly at the jounin trying to crush the man.

Kakashi was barely able to dodge the punches that Gitai was launching. If not for the sharingan, his body would most likely be broken by now. Unfortunately, the sharingan was taking its toll and it wouldn't be long before he passed out from chakra exhaustion. He had to come up with something fast because he was running on a timer and his chakra was draining quickly. Jumping back to avoid another swing of Gitai's massive fist which now had rocky spikes protruding from it, Kakashi threw five kunai which had explosive notes attached to each of them. When he landed on the ground right before the notes went off, he threw down a smoke bomb.

The kunai landed and embedded themselves in Gitai's rock armor before each blew up creating large explosions along the armor. Despite the explosions being powerful, it didn't do much damage to the armor and did nothing to Gitai himself. As he recovered from the explosions, he looked at the smoke that concealed Kakashi in front of him. With a shake of his head, Gitai smirked. "I told you Kakashi, it's a futile effort and now your life is over" the man said as he slammed his fists hard into the smoke and drove them into the ground expecting them to crush the masked jounin. His smirk quickly turned into a frown and his face showed a look of confusion as the smoke cleared but Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Gitai was brought out of his confusion as a loud chirping sound made its way to his ears. With a slight turn of his head, Gitai's blood ran cold.

"A life is over, but it isn't mine. Chidori" the masked jounin shouted from behind Gitai as he sped towards his opponent. Gitai was unable to move much less defend himself as his arms were firmly dug into the ground. All he could do was scream as Kakashi shoved his lightning covered hand through the rock armor and into his body. The scream quickly died as did Gitai.

After killing Gitai and ending his jutsu, Kakashi pulled his hand from the dead assassin's body and fell to his knees. His entire body hurt and he was panting harshly. He could feel his chakra almost completely depleted as he slowly raised his headband with a trembling hand. Kakashi tried to stand up but fell expecting a small collision with the ground. The masked jounin looked up and was relieved to see his fellow jounin holding him up.

"Try and hang on to me. We've gotta find Sasuke and Naruto" Itachi said and after getting a nod from Kakashi, took off with him.

* * *

(Naruto, Sasuke, and Shion)

Naruto and Sasuke were quickly jumping through the trees when they heard a sound behind them. Glancing behind, both growled at the sight of Kusuna and Setsuna tailing them. Naruto shook his head as the two sped up until Setsuna began to throw spinning razor disks at the three. Gritting his teeth, Naruto sped up before stopping on a tree branch. "Keep going. I'll take care of these two" Naruto shouted out as Sasuke sped forward causing the priestess to hold on for dear life.

Reaching his arm out, Naruto's sword appeared in his hand and the blonde ninja smirked. "It's your unlucky day but find solace that you died at the hands of the Lunar Soldier" Naruto said before pulling his arm back. He swung forward and shouted "Hammer Slash" sending only about one hundred sword slashes in one swing since he decided to tone down the attack. The swing of his sword however still hit and cut both Setsuna who had a look of shock on his dead face and Kusuna in half. The attack kept going as it cut through twenty trees sending them falling loudly.

Naruto chuckled as he jumped down to examine the bodies but he froze momentarily when he saw that Kusuna's body was not a body at all but a puppet instead. Thinking quickly, Naruto jumped up on a tree branch and went as fast as he could to catch up with Sasuke.

(Sasuke and Shion)

Sasuke and Shion were jumping as quickly as possible. The Uchiha didn't know where he was supposed to go but he knew that his fellow Leaf ninja would find him soon enough. As his thoughts wandered for a moment, he was unable to sense Kusuna who appeared quickly behind Sasuke and said quietly "Anesthetic Jutsu". A scorpion like creature emerged from Kusuna's body and bit the boy on the neck which caused Sasuke to lose all feeling in his body creating instant paralysis. Sasuke fell from the tree landing face first on the ground creating a cloud of dust from his fall. Shion suffered some slight pain but was not seriously injured due to Sasuke providing a cushion for her.

The chunin groaned before starting to try and struggle. He tried with all his might but was unable to do anything as Kusuna landed with a wicked smile and approached the priestess who now had a fearful look on her face. Reaching his target, Kusuna stood as four of his scorpion like creatures rose from his body and opened the jacket he wore which contained a number of scalpels. With a whisper, Kusuna said "Dark Medical Jutsu. Let's perform a little surgery shall we?" he said as each scorpion took a scalpel and sent one into her her temple, one into her throat, and two which sliced both of her wrists.

Before Kusuna could enjoy his victory, a spinning sword came flying which took off the man's head and landed in a nearby tree. Naruto arrived on the scene only to see the gruesome death that Shion had suffered. Clenching his fists, the blonde shouted "DAMN IT" before he noticed his teammate who made a sound that was either a groan or a yell for his attention. Walking slowly to his teammate. Arriving at Sasuke, he turned the fellow chunin over and kneeled beside him.

Five minutes later, Itachi and Kakashi broke the tree line to see a kneeling Naruto, a paralyzed Sasuke, and Shion who was kneeling beside another Shion. Sitting Kakashi down, Itachi quickly walked to his brother without a word and kneeled beside him examining the boy. Reaching inside his pouch, he pulled out a vial with a sharp needle that held green liquid. As he approached Sasuke's neck, the boy tried to fidget and yell at his brother to not stick him with the shot but Itachi did so anyway. Thirty seconds later, Sasuke slowly rose into a sitting position but an angry look marred his face as it did for Naruto.

Itachi stood up. "What happened?" he asked as both boys looked at the ground. Naruto remembering what the real Shion had told him, and Sasuke remembering what had actually happened. "Taruho had been following us and used a special transformation jutsu to transform into Shion. He insisted that he take Shion's place and I agreed. It's my fault that Taruho is dead" Sasuke answered saying the last part so quietly that barely anyone could hear it.

Shion snorted. "Taruho was an idiot. His death was inevitable so there is no reason to mourn for him" the blonde priestess said. Naruto looked at Shion with anger but Sasuke activated his killing intent and his sharingan before shouting, "HE DIED FOR YOU, YOU ARROGANT USELESS BITCH". The Uchiha's words struck a part of Shion causing her to quickly tun and run. Sasuke took off after her but when Naruto tried to chase as well, Itachi grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

(Shion and Sasuke)

"How could you not shed a tear for someone who gave up everything for you! Do you just not care about anyone but yourself?" Sasuke yelled out as Shion came to a stop leaning against a tree with her arms holding herself.

Sasuke finally reached the priestess but was shocked at what he came across. The blonde girl was crying. Tears were falling at a quick pace as she sobbed against a tree. "Of course I cared about Taruho! He died because of me and I have to live with that! So many have died to protect me and I hate it. Why do I have to be someone that everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves for? Every time someone dies for me, it stabs my heart and puts me through such pain that I can't stand it. But Taruho was the one person who didn't die because it was his duty. He died because he truly wanted me to live on and that pain is just too much to bear. I can't take it anymore" the girl responded sobbing throughout her answer giving Sasuke an entire new opinion of the girl. The Uchiha had been wrong.

Slowly approaching the girl, Sasuke stopped a few feet away from her. "I have made a horrible mistake. I thought that you were just a spoiled girl, but now I see that you have held a burden that so few could bear" Sasuke said before kneeling causing the priestess to turn around with a shocked face that an Uchiha was bowing to her. Even in the Land of Demons, the pride of the Uchiha clan was well known so to see one of their clan members humble themselves before her was surprising to say the least. "I will protect you at all costs, but I will do more than just that. I will make sure that the pain you feel will not occur anymore on this mission. I will give my life for you if need be, but I will also do whatever it takes to ease this burden that you have been forced to carry for so long" Sasuke said.

Shion had no words so she simply nodded while still sniffling. "Let's return to Taruho and give him a burial that he deserves" Shion said walking to stand beside Sasuke and held out her arm. Sasuke stood and with an arched eyebrow and a slight hesitance, took her arm in his. "I believe you and I believe in you Sasuke Uchiha" Shion whispered.

(Two hours later)

The Konoha escort group were tree hopping to the shrine. Shion had insisted on getting there as soon as possible. She would no longer be responsible for so many people's deaths. She held tighter onto Sasuke, but no longer with the slight fear that he might drop her. The five were close to the shrine before Itachi stopped them.

"The shrine is just up ahead. Are all of you ready?" Itachi asked. None of his fellow members said a word, they only nodded, each with a determined look. Itachi looked at his brother who had a new energy about him. The elder Uchiha couldn't be more proud of Sasuke. His gaze moved to Naruto whose blank look now had a very confident smile as the boy was looking at the sky. Itachi almost felt bad for the opposition when he saw a full moon shining in the sky. He then turned his eyes to Kakashi and frowned. "Kakashi, are you okay for this fight?" the jounin asked.

Kakashi nodded. "The soldier pills will last for a while. I'm ready" the jounin said standing straight.

With confidence, each of the Konoha ninja stepped out of the tree line to see the Stone Army, line by line ready to protect the shrine. Itachi looked at Naruto. "Naruto, do you think that you could prepare a path for us?" the Uchiha asked as a legitimate question.

Naruto chuckled and ran forward without an answer. As the blonde neared the army, the stone soldiers became alert and prepared to attack only for Naruto to jump high into the air leaving a small crater from his jump. High in the sky, Naruto remained in the air as his sword appeared in his hand. A white glow began to form around Naruto and his sword as he closed his eyes and started to take slow breaths. For a long moment, the blonde stayed in midair as the glow around him grew larger until he opened his eyes.

The swordsman slammed his sword in a downward motion as he and his sword sped towards the ground. As the two fell, Naruto shouted "Lunar Slash". Upon landing, there were a few seconds where it looked like nothing had happened. Soon, that idea was disputed as hundreds of the stone soldiers were destroyed without any pieces left to recover from. Hundreds of the Immortal Stone Stone Army soldiers had just lost their titles and their hollow lives.

A clear path was made which the Konoha team quickly took advantage of while trying to comprehend what they had just seen. Before any admiration could be stated however, more of the stone soldiers started to approach. Naruto raised his sword in position to fight knowing that he didn't have another of his special attacks ready yet. Itachi and Kakashi stopped near Naruto as well preparing for battle. Anything to buy time. "Sasuke, get Shion inside and start the sealing" Itachi ordered Sasuke who sped up his running until the two safely made it into the shrine.

"Are you okay Naruto?" Itachi asked his student with concern on his face. Naruto looked up at his teacher and smiled. "Never better Itachi sensei. Now let's go kick some stone soldier ass" the blonde said before his attention shifted to the army and he ran ready for a fight. Kakashi and Itachi shared a short amused look before they quickly followed in a futile attempt to not be shown up by a chunin.

(Sasuke and Shion)

Sasuke and Shion quickly ran through a massive cave before coming to a series of ground passages surrounded by lava. In the distance, Sasuke could see Yomi resting and behind him was the sealing shrine itself. Without a second thought, Sasuke ran along the earth trails and made it to Yomi's side in less than thirty seconds. He stopped in front of Yomi and looked back at Shion who nodded causing him to let the priestess down off his back. Without a word, Shion began walking to the shrine while Sasuke kept his eyes on Yomi.

Yomi gave a weak smile. His body was extremely pale and looked like it was already decaying but he kept smiling as if he had an ace in the hole. "It's impossible you know. Not even your mother could completely seal Moryo" Yomi said with a chuckle expecting to get a reaction from the blonde priestess but was disappointed as the girl continued walking and looking more determined then ever. Yomi frowned at her new found strength. "Haven't you ever wondered how she sealed Moryo?" Yomi asked once again trying to get the girl to take the bait only to be once again disappointed. Now the man was becoming slightly concerned as the girl reached the sealing platform and quickly went through the motion of the sealing.

After finishing her handsigns, Shion rose and created a barrier around her. Sasuke glanced at the priestess to see how much of a toll the seal was taking on her so far. Unfortunately, one small moment was all Yomi needed as he through his body with all of his remaining strength through the barrier at the cost of his life. The remaining parts of Yomi quickly faded into darkness that rose and slowly entered the tomb that Moryo's body was kept. A dark chuckle sounded out as Shion's eyes widened. Her barrier fell from her lack of concentration and she fell backwards only to land in the arms of Sasuke.

"My body and soul have been reunited. I thank you Priestess Shion for reviving me and securing my rule of this world" a dark voice said before chuckling.

"Kami, what have I done?" the girl whispered as tears began to roll down her face. She felt a small comfort as Sasuke's grip on her tightened but the grip quickly went away as he stood up helping her up as well. "Shion, find somewhere to protect yourself. Leave this to me" the Uchiha said looking at the shrine as he awaited the rise of Moryo. Shion wanted to argue but something in the boy's voice told her that he would take care of everything.

Sasuke walked forwards as multiple dragon heads of darkness rose from the ground ahead of them. Not stopping, Sasuke summoned his spear into his hand and activated his sharingan. Immediately, the dragons rushed towards Sasuke but the Uchiha's response was quick. "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique" shouted the dark haired chunin as he sent a multitude of large blue fireballs that impacted the dragons hard enough to force them back. Reaching his arm forward, Sasuke followed up by shouting "Solar Destruction" as a golden ball of fire began to form in his hand. The ball started to increase in size as the dragons recovered and prepared to attack. Just as they were ready to launch themselves at the boy, Sasuke sent the large fireball flying towards their core instead of a single head.

The impact of the attack caused a screech from the dragons as the ball kept burning and began to actually push them backwards. The attack was not without risk however as Sasuke was panting harshly from exhaustion, both physical and chakra exhaustion. Standing up straight, Sasuke looked at his opponent knowing that even a few of his best attacks were not a match for a full fledged demon. Without turning his attention, Sasuke addressed Shion. "Shion, you need to leave. I'll hold Moryo off, just get out of here" Sasuke said as he found it hard to keep his sharingan active.

Shion looked at the boy with a mixture of shock and horror. "Absolutely not! You promised me that you would not let me feel any more pain. If you sacrifice yourself for me, I will never forgive you" the blonde priestess screamed out from nearby with tears flowing from her eyes.

Sasuke growled in regret at his earlier promise before gripping his spear tight. "Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them" Sasuke said as he prepared to throw his spear while summoning as much chakra as he could. Finding just enough energy, the chunin launched his spear as hard as he could at the dark dragons that were once again preparing to attack. Right before the spear made impact, Sasuke shouted "Lighting Rain" creating a number of powerful lightning bolts that rapidly attacked each of the dragons causing Moryo to screech again.

Sasuke fell to his knees panting and quickly deactivating his sharingan. Every part of his body hurt but he ignored the pain and felt a sense of dread as he noticed his attack dying down while Moryo seemed unaffected, just seriously pissed off. Preparing to die, he felt a feminine figure land beside him and hold onto him tightly. With a deep breath, Sasuke turned and looked into Shion's eyes. Throughout the entire mission, he had never looked into her eyes. Now that he had, he could say that they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his life. With a smile, he took her hand gently in his and looked at her. "Shion, it's time to go. Get out of here and find Naruto or Itachi. They will protect you and I promise that they will do a better job than I could" Sasuke said with a laugh which quickly turned into a coughing fit.

Shion tightened her grip on the Uchiha and shook her head. "No Sasuke, I won't do that. If it's our destiny to die today, then we will die together" she said before giving him a small kiss on his lips and looking forward. As both stared at the approaching Moryo, a warm feeling came over Sasuke and Shion. The two felt replenished and stronger than ever before. Both had looks of confusion as a small glow formed around the two.

Seeing what was happening and secretly knowing that this was the hidden power that was passed on from priestess to priestess growled and sent a dragon at the two only for the dragon to be obliterated as it hit some sort of barrier. Moryo sent another dragon only to get the same result. Sasuke and Shion shared a confused look before they stood up hand in hand with a smile.

"I see now why you needed me to die so badly. I have the power to erase your existence" Shion said as she and Sasuke walked forward while Moryo moved backwards. "Well the day of your end comes today. Sasuke, together" she said calmly which received a nod from Sasuke.

Doing a series of quick handsigns, Sasuke said with a smirk, "Combined chakra: Meteor Rain" before sending twenty massive fireballs covered in intense white fire. One after another hit Moryo not allowing the demon to recover. Normally, the attack would not really affect him, but Shion's chakra changed everything. The multiple and powerful attacks combined with the chakra of the priestess was very harmful to say the least and that was in the case of only one fireball. In the case of the twenty fireballs, the demon was completely obliterated.

Looking forward, Sasuke and Shion were unsure of what to do. Laugh? Cry? Both? Sasuke summoned his weapon to him and turned to Shion with a smile. "Well, let's go see how the rest of the group is" the Uchiha suggested as he held out his arm which caused Shion to giggle and nod before taking the arm.

The two walked out of the cave but were completely floored at the sight that they came across.

(Naruto, Itachi, and Kakashi)

The chunin and the two jounin stood looking at the battlefield and the now inanimate soldiers that had fallen. Each of the three smiled knowing that Sasuke and Shion defeated Moryo in the shrine.

"I will say that I am not disappointed with the opponent that Tsuranabi has tasked me with killing" a voice said from nearby. Looking around, the three finally looked up to see a black haired man leaning against a black serrated sword that was shoved into the ground. "I have been waiting for you Serpent Summoner" the man said causing both jounin's eyes to widen as they looked at Naruto but quickly turned their attention back to the man.

Itachi activated is sharingan while Kakashi pulled out a kunai. "Who the hell are you?" Itachi asked with a hostile tone prepared to kill anyone who was a threat to his student.

The newcomer pulled his blade from the ground and jumped down to Naruto, Itachi, and Kakashi's level. "I am a man whose life ended many years ago. I am an unbeaten soul that has returned for one purpose. I am the Dragon Summoner Ryuki. Now then, I have no business with you two so step aside before I end your lives right now" the man said.

Kakashi and Itachi raised their weapons but stopped at Naruto's words. "Stop. I can feel his power. This is too much for you guys to handle. As a matter of fact, I can only think of one way to beat him if what he says is true" Naruto said getting an unbelieving look from Kakashi but an understanding look from Itachi. The jounin had learned after many instances not to count Naruto out no matter the opponent. " Kakashi, let's go" Itachi said before taking off to the entrance of the shrine where he could keep an eye on everything. Kakashi looked at the boy for a long moment. The masked jounin had not gotten to make up for his sins of neglect towards Naruto. "Good luck Naruto" the masked ninja said and left after getting a quick nod from the blonde himself.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto shoved his sword into the ground and began to walk forward. Ryoki walked forward as well until they stood about twelve feet across from each other. "I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze and I am the Serpent Summoner that will end you" the blonde said with a confident smirk that only served to make Ryuki frown. "Arrogance is the folly of all men" Ryuki said with a sigh as he brought his hands up. Naruto did the same with a chuckle. "We'll see" the blonde said before both summoners' expressions grew serious.

"Summoning Jutsu Levios" "Summoning Jutsu Hachiman" the two summoners shouted simultaneously. For thirty seconds, nothing happened and all was silent. However, the silence ended in an instant. The ground behind Ryuki turned to molten rock and collapsed in on itself as a massive red dragon soared into the sky and gave off a roar that would strike fear into any man. After the roar, a large field of mist formed behind Naruto before Levios in his full size rose from the mist and let out a roar of his own. The serpent and the dragon stared at each other with their sharp teeth bared in hatred towards one another.

After processing the sight of the two fearsome beasts ready to do battle, Ryuki turned his attention back to Naruto. "I will not hold back in this battle. I strongly suggest that you do not hold back as well" the man said as a dark red glow began to form around him and scales of the same color began to form along his arms quickly spreading throughout his body.

Naruto nodded as a blue light formed around him. Purple scales began to form around his body and small lightning bolts shined through the boy's eyes. Fins grew along each of his arms, sharp edges pushed out of his knuckles, the ends of his fingers transformed into purple razor sharp claws and his teeth grew sharp edges as well. His transformation also caused him to grow an entire foot in height. Golden lines ran along the boy's body over a water covering that covered his entire body. The final part of his transformation was the formation of a hard purple helmet like structure that covered his hair and head.

The former blonde looked forward at his opponent and summoned his trident. The trident was much different than when he had first summoned it in Kiri. The weapon he summoned now was much longer and shined brighter than before. Lightning ran along the weapon as it gave off immense power.

Ryuki looked at his opponent and smiled ready for a good fight. His transformation was done as blood red scales covered his body while sharp fangs protruded from his mouth. His fingers had also transformed into claws and his already yellow eyes had increased in color and the sclera in the middle intensified. The transformation that his sword went through was mostly an increase in power, but the dragon eye that connected the blade and the handle was now dark red.

Seeing that their summoners' transformations were complete, the serpent and the dragon began their battle. At the same time, Naruto and Ryuki rushed at one another prepared to end the other.

(Levios and Hachiman)

The dragon in the sky glared at the serpent below before giving off a mighty roar and firing a stream of intense flames towards Levios. The serpent roared and opened it's jaw widely. A second later, a powerful stream of water mixed with equally powerful lightning bolts intertwined within the water flew out of Levios' mouth and met the fire blast full force. The result was a massive explosion that created a large mass of steam around the area.

Hachiman growled in annoyance. The result of the attacks sent by the serpent and himself had given the coward a perfect cover to hide from him. Or so the serpent thought. baring it's fangs, Hachiman sent his massive wings forwards blowing the mist away but became confused for a moment as the serpent was nowhere to be seen. The moment of confusion proved to be a painful one as Levios rose from the ground behind the great dragon and sank his sharp fangs into Hachiman's. The bite elicited a roar of pain from the dragon as the serpent's teeth dug past the hard scales that covered his body and drew blood. Taking the pain, Hachiman flew upwards, taking the increased pain from Levios' bite as they rose higher. After Hachiman reached a height of his satisfaction, the great dragon turned his body fast enough to throw the serpent off and send him falling to the distant ground below. Before Hachiman could enjoy his victory however, a shot of water mixed with lightning hit his chest as he had not been paying attention. The lightning bolts mixed with water ran along his body sending him into temporary paralysis as he too fell.

(Naruto and Ryuki)

The now purple Naruto was engaged in a trident to sword battle with the red scaled Ryuki. Each collision of the weapons resulted in small sparks and flames erupting from impact. The two fought ferociously, each one increasing the intensity of the fight with every weapon strike. Naruto was thinking as quickly as he could as he tried to find out his opponent's tendencies, flaws, and weaknesses. Ryuki had none that Naruto could see so far.

After a minute more of clashes among weapons, Naruto saw a small opening as Ryuki stabbed his sword towards Naruto's legs. The serpent summoner quickly brought his trident down and trapped the sword. He followed up the move by swiping his clawed left hand across Ryuki's face causing him to jump back in order to avoid anymore hits. Naruto kept his trident on top of the dragon summoner's sword as he watched his fellow sword user touch the wound that stretched along his right cheek.

Ryuki chuckled as he felt the sting of the scratch. "Well done serpent summoner, it seems that you have drawn first blood. Unfortunately, a scratch won't be enough to defeat me" the dragon summoner said as he jumped into the air. At the same time that the man jumped, his dragon sword turned to flames and appeared in his hand. Not even acknowledging the presence of his weapon, Ryuki opened his jaw wide and his eyes began to glow as if actual fire resided in them.

Without missing a beat, the lightning eyed Naruto opened his jaw as well. From the dragon summoner, a mass of fire quickly rushed towards Naruto. The serpent summoner however sent a powerful blast of water with a few small electric bolts within that met the fire blast head on. As the two attacks met, they seemed to be equal at first but the situation changed quickly. The fire blast began to push back against Naruto's attack before it started to head full force towards the purple summoner.

Naruto's eyes closed as waited for the impact of Ryuki's blast but it never came. Slowly opening his eyes, he saw a large dome of water surrounding him as the fire blast died out against it. Unsure about what happened, Naruto got his answer to where the water came from when it rushed back to cover his body. Naruto examined himself for a few seconds before looking up at his opponent who was scowling. The serpent summoner gave a small smile and a breath of relief before kneeling down and picking up his trident.

"Let's try this again shall we?" Naruto said before the two ran at each other once again in a battle mindset.

(Front of shrine cave entrance)

Itachi and Kakashi watched Naruto battle his opponent along with the great beasts that were at war in front of them. Both of them were speechless and scared for Naruto's life. For a reason that they attributed to the special battle of the summons, a transparent barrier had risen in what they guessed was to prevent outside interference. The only reason that Itachi and Kakashi could see the barrier was because they had their sharingan activated.

The Uchiha jounin clenched his fists to the point of them bleeding. He knew that this battle was not one he would stand a chance in, but at least he would have died knowing that he helped his student. It hurt more than words were able to describe as he watched his student who was fighting a life or death battle. A life or death battle that he was unable to assist in. "Come on Naruto. I believe in you, we all do. So come out of this alive. Please Kami, let him come out of this alive" Itachi whispered.

Kakashi was fairing little better than his counterpart. He wanted to jump in and help but he knew that if anything, he would probably get the boy killed. The masked ninja wanted to bang his head against something as he looked at his sensei's son fighting a battle unlike any he had ever seen. The chakra that was being emitted from Naruto and Ryuki was monstrous. Each of their chakra felt more powerful and more potent than anything he had ever felt in his life. Including the Kyuubi. And in terms of the creatures that fought near the two, they didn't emit any chakra. No, they simply pulsated pure power of the likes he had never felt before. He had never been so amazed yet terrified at the same time.

Both jounin were knocked out of their thoughts at the sound of Sasuke and Shion who were rushing out of the cave. Coming out of the cave, the younger Uchiha froze at the sight and shook at the feeling of power before him. In his arms, Shion shook at the sight and tried to bury herself into the Uchiha as much as possible.

Sasuke slowly turned to Itachi. "Itachi, where is Naruto?" the black haired chunin asked trying not to stutter. He already knew the answer but he needed confirmation which he got when Itachi pointed in the direction of the battlefield while looking down in shame. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke looked up with a determined look and approached Itachi. "Brother, take Shion. I have a friend to help" Sasuke said offering the girl only for her to cling to him tighter and whimper.

Itachi quickly shook his head. "No Sasuke. This is a fight where numbers do not count. It is a battle truly out of anyone's skill set but Naruto's. I know it's hard, but you have to believe in him and let him do this on his own. Believe in Naruto like he has always believed in you" Itachi said quietly.

Sasuke wanted to argue. He wanted to yell. He wanted to run to his friend and help however he could. But his brother was right. Anyone who tried to join him would serve only as a distraction and more than likely get Naruto killed. So with great restraint, Sasuke held Shion closer and activated his sharingan. He would never stop believing in his friend, just as the blonde would never stop believing in him.

(Naruto and Ryuki)

Naruto's trident was in the ground as was Ryuki's sword. Upon realizing that they were too evenly matched in the art of wielding each of their weapons, the two had abandoned them in favor of trying to find a better way to kill one another. For Naruto, Ryuki's death would mean hurting the Shinigami's Blade once again and ending the threat before him. For Ryuki, Naruto's death meant that he would be allowed to return to the afterlife and never be called back again. Both had a lot on the line and were fighting with everything they had.

Naruto and Ryuki had moved on to exchanging physical blows on one another. The blows from each punch only created a scratch with the blades on one another's knuckles, but the physical blows from the punch was where the real damage occurred. Naruto was faster, lighter, and able to land many blows at a high rate. But Ryuki's blows were heavy and powerful, each one knocking a little bit of air from Naruto.

Ryuki pulled back his right fist and slammed it forward in hopes of landing a devastating impact on the boy, but Naruto was able to dodge it at the last second and with great speed land ten quick and powerful punches to Ryuki's midsection. Just as Ryuki was about to grab him with his left arm, Naruto quickly swept Ryuki's legs from under him sending him backwards onto his back. Naruto immediately jumped high into the air before smiling. "This is the end Ryuki" Naruto said quietly as a large ball of blue lightning formed in his hand.

Still on his back, Ryuki watched as Naruto's lightning attack formed which was soon covered by a large orb of water. When the former blonde sent his attack towards the man, Ryuki smiled. For the first time in a long, long, time, he was impressed.

In the air, Naruto watched as his attack sped towards Ryuki and landed creating a powerful impact. Hanging in midair, he panted with a smile and smiled in victory. That smile died soon though as his attack died down enough to show that Ryuki was nowhere to be seen. Just as Naruto started to think of what happened, Ryuki appeared behind the boy holding his arms behind his back and keeping him from moving. The dragon summoner smiled from behind the serpent summoner. "I am impressed serpent summoner. For giving me a glorious battle, you will learn perhaps my most deadly technique. That is, if you last that long" Ryuki said before spike emerged from the dragon summoner's body going into the former blonde's body.

The impaling of the multiple spikes caused Naruto to scream in pain and struggle to get free, but Ryuki's hold would not allow it. Taking advantage of Naruto's inability to move, Ryuki turned their bodies upside down so that the two began to fall headfirst. Ryuki chuckled as the two landed in a vicious pile driver.

(Levios and Hachiman)

Levios slowly rose from the ground breathing harshly. Blood was dripping from his mouth, scales were missing, and his body felt like he could no longer go on. Nearby, he noticed a large moving form that was slowly getting up. Knowing that it was the dragon, Levios gritted his teeth all the while thinking 'I am so kicking Naruto's ass for what I'm having to go through'. The serpent summoned his remaining strength and rose as the dragon approached on all fours limping and twitching every once and a while.

Levios' last gasp attack had done more than just paralysis if looks were anything to go by. One eye was twitching while the other was closed but blood was coming from under the eyelid. One of Hachiman's wings was bent at what seemed to be a very painful and abnormal angle. A few scales were no longer on the dragon and his jaw was open revealing that he was missing a few of his teeth.

The reason for the difference in the injuries between the two creatures was quite simple. Hachiman had flown them high enough to prove fatal for the serpent summon but was not counting on the serpent to have the "infinite knowledge" to create a large pool of water below just in time to cushion his fall. Unfortunately, Hachiman was not afforded the same luxury as he fell without any way to cushion his fall due to the paralysis that the serpent had levied on him.

Pure, unadulterated, hatred was a feeling that didn't even come close to the dragon's feelings towards Levios. He, Hachiman, the Dragon King, was being embarrassed by a pathetic serpent. It was unacceptable. So with everything in his body, not caring if the attack destroyed himself in the process, raised his head upwards and blew out his largest stream of fire yet. White, yellow, orange, blue, red, and black flames formed into a ball above that started to grow bigger and bigger.

Levios looked at the dragon knowing that he couldn't attack Hachiman head on anymore. The heat was too intense at this point for him to even approach the dragon, so the serpent pulled it's neck backwards and opened its jaw as wide as possible. The serpent let out a loud, ferocious, and horrifying roar. After a few seconds, it seemed that the only thing Levios had done was roar again, but soon dark clouds began to quickly cover the skies above. Constant lightning bolts lit up the clouds before going downwards towards Levios himself. The winds started to pick up and rain began to pour heavily as the wind and ran joined the lightning around Levios. A powerful hurricane soon surrounded the serpent as it focused on the dragon before him.

With loud roaring battle cries, Hachiman sent his incredible fireball flying towards Levios while the serpent commanded his hurricane to rush forward. A second later, the two attacks met. Collisions of attacks of such magnitude that had not occurred for centuries fought one another for leverage. The power of the dragons versus the power of the serpents. Both creatures sent their attacks and pushed as hard as they could knowing the cold hard truth. The loser of this attack would die.

Minutes of attacks pushing one another were going on until one started to give way. The fireball of the dragon started to shrink in size while the intensity of the hurricane began to pick up. With a final push, Levios roared and pushed his attack as hard as he could sending his hurricane forward as it swallowed up the fireball. Hachiman could only watch as the serpent's attack met him and ended his existence.

Once the attack had finished off Hachiman, Levios fell flat on the ground with his eyes barely open. He glanced in the direction of his summoner and before returning to his realm, gave one final thought. 'I believe in you Naruto.'

(Naruto and Ryuki)

Ryuki was standing with a blank look on his face as he examined Naruto who was now lying in a crater. The boy's transformation had just ended as had his dragon transformation. It was no matter though, his mission was accomplished. The man started to walk away picking up his sword when he heard a surprising sound. The coughing of his seemingly dead opponent. Ryuki turned and looked upon Naruto who by the looks of his appearance probably wished he was dead at the moment. The blonde was barely breathing, his eyes were unfocused, his nose was broken, he had a few cuts along his face and multiple along his arms, and his jaw was slightly out of place as was his left arm. Shaking his head, Ryuki began to approach the boy with slight pity in his eyes.

"Hey. You told me that you were gonna show me your most powerful technique" Naruto said weakly before coughing. Ryuki narrowed his eyes before he shook his head. "No boy, I told you that you would learn of my attack if you beat me" the dragon swordsman said as he walked towards Naruto.

Naruto lightly chuckled as blood leaked from his mouth but his eyes shined of determination and he wore a smile of victory. "Like I said. You owe me that technique" Naruto said as Ryuki now stood in front of him. Just as Ryuki swung his sword ready to decapitate the boy, the blonde swordsman flashed away.

Nearby, Naruto flashed to a hiraishin kunai that he had secretly buried when he buried his sword. Before picking up his blade, Naruto summoned what little summoning strength he had left before his golden trident in its lesser form appeared in his right hand. With great effort, the blonde threw the trident with all his might.

Ryuki had turned around after his opponent flashed away but he had hesitated just long enough so that when he turned, he was met with Naruto's trident flying into his chest. Looking down at the trident, Ryuki mentally applauded the surprise attack, but it was made for one who was alive which he was not. "I'm sorry boy, but your attack has no affect on me" the black haired swordsman said but frowned when he saw Naruto smile.

"Who said that was my attack?" Naruto said before his trident gave off enough lightning to momentarily stun his opponent. Dead or alive. Looking beside him, Naruto pulled up his sword and looked above. The clouds that had been covering the sky immediately cleared as the moon shined brightly on him. Looking forward at his opponent, the blonde didn't hesitate as he raised his sword. "LUNAR SLASH" the boy screamed as he swung his sword with all of his strength.

Ryuki had stopped trying to get out of his paralysis. Knowing that he couldn't avoid what was coming, Ryuki admired the shining attack quickly approaching him. A part of him did regret what was about to happen though.

The attack struck as an incredible burst of pure chakra flooded Ryuki's body. Naruto's attack had ended Ryuki as the dragon swordsman's body was starting to deteriorate slowly into nothing. He was returning to the afterlife which caused the black haired man to smile. That smile lessened however as Naruto started to approach him.

(The Rest of the Konoha Group)

The Konoha group was all smiles and in awe of what they had seen. The battle that they had witnessed was one that each of them doubted would ever be seen by anyone for many lifetimes. But then again, for Naruto, this could just be another Tuesday. Sasuke was cheering loudly before he looked to his side where he had put Shion down. The blonde for some reason refused to look forward at the battlefield. Sasuke started to wonder, but he decided to wait until everything died down to ask questions.

(Naruto and Ryuki)

Naruto felt relief from defeating the powerful opponent, but as he approached the man, his body began to feel off. A sudden numbness had come over him. That numbness soon turned into needle like pricks along his body. A few seconds later, a strong pressure started to impact the entirety of his body. The boy slowly looked towards Ryuki who was looking at the blonde with a sad expression. "I'm afraid that you lost this battle the moment you and I found each other. You are suffering from my most powerful attack. The Destiny Seal. When two people are marked with the Destiny Seal, whatever attack happens to one also happens to another. When I impaled you, I marked you with the seal. Now that I'm dying, you will die as well. But know that you were the greatest opponent I have ever faced" Ryuki said before his body turned to dust.

The blonde swordsman's eyes widen as his sword fell from his hand. He started to panic as the pain that he was feeling only increased. 'No, he was lying. He had to be lying. I can't die, not yet. Not -' his thoughts were cut off as the attack from his own blade began its end. The chakra started to rush through his body and he felt his body being ripped apart. The boy screamed in pain but couldn't hear his own screams. A second later, an explosion of chakra enhanced by the power of the moon exploded on the user destroying the nearby area.

(The Rest of the Konoha Group)

The Konoha ninja had started frowning when Naruto had dropped his sword but once he started glowing was when each of them grew gravely concerned. Before any of them could start to go down and help Naruto, a massive explosion from what seemed to be Naruto's own body erupted causing everyone's eyes to widen. The explosion was massive and sent large waves of earth, dust, and rocks flying everywhere. The debris was approaching quickly. Itachi looked behind him but knew that they wouldn't make it into the cave in time. Making the best decision he could, Itachi shouted "Hit the Ground!" making everyone but Sasuke fall on their chests against the ground.

Sasuke stood shocked at what he was seeing. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion to him. He watched as the wave of debris approached. The group would die once they were hit, lying down or not. Just before he was ready to accept his fate, a single word came into Sasuke's mind seemingly from nowhere. Without hesitation, Sasuke shouted the word given to him.

"SUSANOO"

The moment that Sasuke said the word, a giant, purple, winged guardian appeared in front of him and his group covering them all. For two minutes, waves of debris continued, but none got past Sasuke's guardian. After the last wave stopped, Sasuke fell to his knees and Shion rushed to his side. Itachi and Kakashi who had stood up when they realized they weren't dead only to see the famed Uchiha Susanoo looked at the chunin with shocked looks on their faces. Itachi quickly turned to Kakashi with a glare and his sharingan activated. "This never happened" Itachi growled out to which Kakashi nodded quickly. The two immediately turned their attention back to where Naruto had been. Both looked at the ground and allowed a few tears to fall.

Shion knelt beside Sasuke who was sobbing. His fists were clenched as he looked towards where his best friend had once been with a six star shape in each of his eyes. Looking at the sky while crying, Sasuke creamed out "NARUTO" mirroring the feelings of each of those there.

(Twenty Minutes Later)

Itachi and Kakashi looked dead inside as they stood. Looking at Sasuke, they could see him shaking and crying as Shion tried to console him. With a sad sigh, Kakashi stepped forward. "We have to finish the mission. When we get to Konoha, we will give him the burial he deserves" the masked ninja said.

Sasuke shakily stood up with the help of Shion. His chakra was pretty much drained from the Susanoo. "Kakashi, we don't need a funeral because Naruto isn't dead" the dark haired chunin said with a serious tone. Before Kakashi could refute the response, Itachi looked at Kakashi and shook his head. "Well in any case, we should finish the mission and get back to Konoha as quick as possible in order to send out a search team" Kakashi said which got a stiff nod from Sasuke.

* * *

(Two Days Later)

Sasuke laid in his bed that was inside of Shion's palace. They had traveled constantly and according to Itachi and Kakashi, they needed a short break before going back to Konoha. The thought of them taking their time pissed him off. They needed to get back to the village as quick as possible. The only one who seemed to understand was Shion. The blonde priestess had been understanding and when he had moments of weakness or doubts about whether or not Naruto was alive, Shion gave him strength to keep his beliefs. He would find Naruto, and then he would kick the blonde's ass all the way to Kumo for scaring him like this.

It was going to be a pain to tell Yakumo about Naruto's little joke, but she'd get over it. And any genjutsu she used, he could use his new eyes to dispel. The thought of the eyes brought a serious look on his face. Itachi had told him to keep it quiet because they were so much more valuable than a regular sharingan because of their special abilities. Apparently, he had used one of the abilities called Susanoo which came from the Mangekyo Sharingan. When Itachi had asked how the chunin had gotten it, Sasuke replied that he had no idea what it even was. Itachi seemed to accept the answer but he never knew with his brother.

After contemplation for the past two days while getting back to Shion's palace, Sasuke had come to a realization. The day he first heard the voice that said "Mangekyo Sharingan" was the day that he not only got the true eyes, but also the day that he met the actual Madara Uchiha. Questions after questions filled his mind. Why him? What put him above all of the other Uchiha? Why not Itachi? Why not someone stronger or smarter? It was a weird feeling to be humble, but Sasuke enjoyed the thought that his humility set him apart from the rest of the clan not unlike his older brother. Sasuke also wondered if he had received his own Mangekyo Sharingan or Madara's own eyes.

It was so exciting. He couldn't wait to tell Naruto. Sasuke frowned and a sad look formed on his face. He knew that his friend was out there. He didn't know where, but he knew that Naruto was alive somewhere. Someday, he would be reunited with his friend.

The Uchiha's thoughts were interrupted when he heard his door quietly opening. Slowly turning his head, he was surprised to see Shion herself in his room. The blonde priestess made her way to Sasuke and sat on the side of his bed. Sasuke sat up and moved over so that Shion could sit fully on the bed. "Shion, is something wrong?" the Uchiha asked.

Shion smiled softly and raised her hand to his cheek. "Not with me, but with you. You feel despair and sadness within you. You feel burdened by everything that has happened which is why I have come here. Allow me to remove your sadness and share the burden you carry. In return, I give you myself" the blonde priestess said moving her lips forward and kissing the Uchiha gently.

* * *

(The Next Morning)

Itachi and Kakashi were prepared to leave having already thanked Shion for her hospitality, but Sasuke was still in front of Shion as the two held each other's hands.

"I expect you to write me consistently and visit as much as possible" Shion said with a serious look that fell towards the end of her sentence as she started to giggle. Sasuke nodded in obedience. "I will, and I look forward to you visiting the Hidden Leaf. You will always have a place in my house... and my room" he said before he kissed the girl on the cheek and turned, running off and leaving a blonde blushing priestess behind.

Upon reaching his fellow ninja, Sasuke's face turned deadly serious. "Let's get to Konoha as quickly as possible".

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Sasuke marched up the stairs with Kakashi and Itachi following behind, both looking at the ground. It wasn't until they reached Konoha that the gravity of what had happened to their comrade reemerged. The Uchiha chunin marched past the secretary who stood to keep them from entering, but the Uchiha kept moving and upon reaching the doors of the Hokage's Office, pushed open the doors.

"Lord Hokage, I would like to make an official request for a search team" Sasuke said loudly but froze at seeing the occupants within the room. Minato sat at his desk while Kushina stood beside him with a smile. Orochimaru sat near the Hokage detailing the report of a team already speaking with the Hokage. The team just so happened to be the one consisting of Yakumo, Konan, Hinata, and Sakura who had returned minutes earlier from their mission to the Land of Snow.

Itachi and Kakashi came to stand behind Sasuke, both unable to look at the Hokage and his wife. "Lord Hokage, I request that you send genin Sakura Haruno and genin Hinata Hyuga out" Itachi said quietly. Minato narrowed his eyes but motioned for them to leave without a word as the girls quickly obeyed the order. Minato then looked at Itachi and Kakashi noticing that both refused to meet his gaze. Kushina however was not paying attention to it. She was just happy that her son was back home as was Yakumo who was smiling at the side of the room but was thinking, 'Lazy Naruto not even coming to say hey to his girlfriend'. Konan felt a pit of ice begin to form in her stomach as she remembered Sashira's words on the Snow mission and put her hand gently on Yakumo's shoulder.

"Hey you guys, I'm guessing that it was a mission success? Of course it was with MY son on call, ya know. Just kidding. Anyways, where is Naruto? Did he stop by Ichiraku's or something? I'll bet that he-" "Kushina enough!" interrupted Minato with a shout before looking at the jounin present. "Itachi and Kakashi, look at me" the blonde Hokage said praying that he was wrong. When the two slowly turned their eyes to him, his eyes widened as his heart broke. "No" Minato whispered.

Kushina and Yakumo looked on in confusion but Konan looked down at the ground as her grip on her apprentice's shoulder tightened.

With a deep breath, Itachi looked at his brother, Yakumo, Konan, Kushina, and the Hokage before saying, "Chunin Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze was killed on our mission" Itachi said with a sad tone. The response was quiet for a long moment before Yakumo fell but was caught by Konan. In her blue haired teacher's arms, the girl immediately started to sob while denying Itachi's words. The brunette held her heart tightly while telling herself that it was just a cruel joke. Not a second later, Yakumo pulled out a kunai and tried to stab herself but was quickly stopped by Konan. Yakumo begged her teacher to let go so that she could join Naruto, but Konan refused. It was a heart wrenching scene, but Kushina's reaction was worse.

The red headed woman's eyes squinted and her mouth began to twitch. Seconds later, her twitching mouth turned to a horrified gasp as she fell to the ground with tears streaming down her face. "No, No, No, No, NO! You're lying to me. Why? Why would you make up such a thing? No no no no no. Please Kami no" the red head said as she started to pull her hair tightly. She screamed loudly before looking up. "Please Kami, if you have to take someone take me. Not my baby. Send me to the worst pits of hell, just don't take my baby, I beg of you. PLEASE!" Kushina screamed out as tears continued to fall. She felt so alone and felt little comfort when she felt her husband's arms wrap around her. Her sobs continued in full force however as she felt tears falling on the back of her neck.

Minato held onto his wife tightly as he thought of all the years that he had missed out on with his son and all of the years that he would never get to experience with his son in the future. The blonde Hokage gritted his teeth and looked up at Itachi and Kakashi who were crying as well but Sasuke was not. "Who" was all that Minato was able to growl out. "A man under the employment of the Shinigami's Blade. The man died by Naruto's hand but we still are not sure what happened after that" Itachi answered while Kakashi looked at the ground still unable to meet his teacher's eyes.

The Hokage's face showed pure rage as he turned to the nearby Orochimaru. "Send word Orochimaru. I want a Kage Summit held within two weeks. We will end the Shinigami's Blade once and for all. And I will deliver the most brutal and horrible torture upon their leader for his sins" the Hokage ordered to which the Sannin nodded and rushed out of the room to take care of it.

(Five Minutes Later)

Konan had taken Yakumo home while Itachi, Kakashi, and Sasuke stayed behind and delivered their mission report as much as they hated to. Minato didn't care about the report or even his job as Hokage at the moment. There was too much pain in his heart at the moment. Kushina had a dead look in her eyes but inside, she was in the middle of a serious contemplation of her failings as a mother. Two of her children who she had given all the love she could and the world on a platter had become such twisted human beings. Her first born son who was neglected and ignored for most of his life but had started to forgive her was now dead. A new question arose in her mind. How could she go on?

The two jounin finished their report and left without a word but Sasuke Uchiha stayed behind and stood in front of the couple without a tear stain on his face. Minato and Kushina were confused by this considering that Naruto and Sasuke were both best friends but their confusion was interrupted when the Uchiha spoke. "I have heard many stories about the two of you before you gained your personal reputations. Lord Hokage, I have heard stories from my father who was a teammate of yours. Lady Kushina, I have heard stories from my mother who was your teammate. Both spoke of your strength not just in battle but within your hearts and ideals. I stand before you without a tear shed because I know in my heart and soul that my best friend is still alive. If a mere friend has that much faith in Naruto, I can only imagine how much faith his parents must have in him" Sasuke said before walking away.

Minato and Kushina sat in shock for a long moment before both gained hopeful, confident, and determined looks on their faces. Pulling out the Konoha official ninja log book, Minato changed the status of Naruto from Killed In Action to Missing In Action before he turned to his wife with a small smile. "I believe in our son and I know that you do as well" Minato said getting a nod and then a kiss from his wife.

* * *

(Underground Konoha)

Danzo stood before many former civilian clan heads, ROOT forces, and shinobi from different clans. "My people, I have received word from a secret courier that the Hokage has plans for a Kage Summit soon. Once the Hokage leaves, the village will be unguarded and ours for the taking. Soon, Konoha will belong to the people instead of that untrustworthy bastard Minato" Danzo said loudly which earned shouts of admiration and cheers in his favor.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Once again, I am sorry that it took so long to update. These movie arcs have been kinda complicated to write but I've got two of them done so yay! Anyways, let me clear up a few things in case you have questions. 1) Naruto can use that transformation only in a summon battle of that calibur because anything less than that isn't worthy of such power. He could die. 2) Naruto jumped for his first lunar slash in order to hit as many as possible but when there is only one opponent, he doesn't need to jump. 3) I know that not many people may like the Sasuke Shion pairing but I figured what the hell. 4) Yakumo is NOT suicidal. This was just a moment of depression type thing that many people have had. I'm not trying to make light of depression or suicidal thought as I realize that they are very serious. 5) The Shinigami's Blade is still the main enemy, its just that a lot of stuff happens at the same time. That's life. 6) I won't say whether or not Sasuke and Shion had sex, I will leave that up to you. What I will say is that for anyone who feels uncomfortable about sexual things mixed in with minor, I get it, but this is how I decided to write this story. 7) I have not decided on whether or not to do lemons.

Finally, thank you all for your continued support and patience. I really hope that you liked this chapter and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.


	38. Memories and Regret

Dark-Star217: I'm sorry that the chapter disappointed you but I hope that things get better for you.

Animaman: I'm glad that you liked the chapter. Naruto's parents are going to learn a lot more about their son later on while there are things that will change with Sasuke and Yakumo. I plan to turn Yakumo into someone who induces more fear and Sasuke will become more determined. Pretty much everyone regrets their part in Menma and Narumi which I emphasize on Minato and Kushina's regret this chapter. I'll do so later for the Sannin later on.

UnsanMusho: Things are heating up and they are only gonna get hotter.

PinkiePieParty122894: Happy that you liked the chapter and hopefully death to Danzo. Hopefully.

thor94: Seems that Naruto is dead. It would take a lot of strength and will to survive what he did, whether or not he got stronger is yet to be seen.

1995hzq: I appreciate your patience and I'm glad that you liked the chapter and the pairing. I thought that the Sasuke/Shion pairing would be unique and I liked the idea of it.

ncpfan: You may have to wait a while for the Naruto/parents talk. I like a good Sasuke as well and I've tried my best to be a lot less stoic and more of a human being and an actual best friend of Naruto. I hope I explain why Naruto was neglected a little better in this chapter and Minato and Kushina did want this to go away magically and it looked like it did for a while but because of Naruto's inner revelation, they are still trying to do their best to show him that they can be good parents. Anyway, I hope that this chapter will clarify some questions that you have.

DxGRAYxMAN: Thanks I hope that I continue to impress.

demigodninja21: Probably not. I feel that those two were so big and wanted that they needed to be done. There is a chance that I will do another movie arc later on, but I wouldn't count on it.

* * *

(Naruto's Room)

Kushina sat on Naruto's bed looking out the nearby window. She had done so everyday after finding out her son's status from the mission to the Land of Demons, just as she had when she realized that Naruto had run away from Konoha as a child. With a sad smile, she realized that it seemed like just yesterday when Menma and Narumi had revealed the horrible fact that her first born had left. After her earlier conversation with Sasuke, her beliefs in her son strengthened. But the pain in her heart from the absence of her first born son was almost too much to bear. For the past week, she had reflected on her sins of a mother. She had spoiled two of her children to the point of believing that they deserved the world, and she had neglected her older son to the point of no longer feeling like her son. It wasn't inconceivable on how Menma and Narumi would turn out from how she raised them, but to this day she thanked Kami for the miracle that her sword wielding son didn't hate her.

Noticing the familiar feeling of tears, Kushina quickly wiped her eyes. The worry she held for her son, her blood, her baby boy, was indescribable. She believed in Sasuke's words about her son being alive because she didn't know what she would do if they were wrong. Her failures as a mother had been recognized too late and she had yet to gain Naruto's forgiveness. Naruto and her needed more time. No, Naruto was alive. He had to be alive. Inside of her mind, so many years of neglect ran by, but it all started on one day.

 _Flashback_

Kushina stood beside her husband who was sitting in his Hokage chair with a calm expression on his face. Kushina on the other hand was red faced with fury. Her hair was starting to raise and her killer intent was starting to flood Minato's office. She glared with fire in her eyes at Jiraiya the Toad Sage who was standing in front of the two looking at the ground and shaking slightly.

"I would explain quickly Jiraiya before I remove a body part, one in particular" Kushina said as she barely lessened her killer intent enough for the man to tell her and her husband his infuriating plan. She narrowed her eyes as Jiraiya stood straight and gulped. With a deep breath, Jiraiya calmed himself and straightened his clothes. "Minato, Kushina, a prophecy has been foretold by the Great Toad Sage. The prophecy speaks of two children of great lineage who will determine the future of the world. These two will wield more power than the kages themselves as they come together to either destroy this world, or to save it. Peace or destruction" the white haired Sannin said causing Minato and Kushina's eyes to widen at the prophecy.

Jiraiya stood straighter seeing that Minato and Kushina were ready to listen. "Menma and Narumi come from the Namikaze and Uzumaki, two names known and feared throughout the elemental nations. They hold the power of the Nine Tailed Fox, a power that will allow them to surpass all ninja. I know that not training Naruto at the same time time as his brother and sister will be hard on him as it is on you, but the boy will understand one day. But I need for you two to understand right now why this is so crucial. As for Naruto, neither of you were specifically trained by a clan and look how you turned out" Jiraiya said hoping that his message got through.

Kushina stood looking at the ground. Her mind was at war with itself as was her heart. As a mother and as an Uzumaki, what Jiraiya was suggesting was outrageous and impossible to even think of accepting. On the other hand, the cold logical part of her brain knew that these prophecies didn't just grow on trees. What Jiraiya was telling them had merit and was cruelly correct in its ways. Her inner turmoil was interrupted by the calm words of "All right" beside her. Turning her head, she looked at Minato with tears about to form in her eyes but her husband refused to look at her. The rest of the conversation sped by but Kushina could hear nothing as she was too focused on accepting the need to leave out her son.

Unable to stay in the room any longer, Kushina slowly walked past Jiraiya without levying any type of attack. She had no fight left right now as she left the Hokage's Office with a tear falling down her face.

 _Flashback End_

The red headed mother knew that she should have told Jiraiya to shove it despite the prophecy, but she was a fool. Now not only she, but her children were paying for it. Menma and Narumi had joined a group focused on the enslavement of the entire elemental nations while Naruto had to bear a burden that it seemed like no one else could help carry. Putting a hand on her head, Kushina thought back to more of the sins she committed against her oldest child forcing herself to confront her mistakes so that when Naruto came back, she could apologize for each and every one. When he returned, she would take him into her arms and get on her knees to apologize for all of her mistakes the right way, but she had to confront them within herself first. Thinking back, she continued to remember specific failings that led up to her son leaving the village for over a year.

 _Flashback_

Kushina stood watching Menma and Narumi train by meditating in order to be able to access their chakra easier while attempting to balance a leaf upon their foreheads. She smiled as she watched her five year old children starting on their path to greatness. Seeing her son and daughter following in their parents' footsteps had erased any doubts she may have had about leaving her oldest child behind even though their was still a small lingering feeling of sadness deep within her.

While her thoughts started to drift, she heard the back door open and the sound of a child running. Without turning around, Kushina let out a sigh of annoyance as Naruto came to stand beside her. "Mom, mom, can I join? I promise that I'll be really good" the little blonde asked causing his two siblings to lose their concentration as the leaves fell from their foreheads. With a small growl in annoyance, Kushina looked down at Naruto with a small glare causing the boy to take a few steps back.

"Naruto, Narumi and Menma are trying to train and you are keeping their mind off of it. You are being bad already so how can I trust you to be good later? Besides, Narumi and Menma's training is more important than getting you started on your training. It would be a waste of time" Kushina said harshly causing her son to frown and his lip to start quivering. "But mom, if you could just give me some sort of training book then I would leave you-" the blonde child was interrupted by the red headed mother raising her voice. "I said no now go to your room until dinner!" she shouted causing the boy to immediately turn and run away with tears in his eyes. She knew that she may have overreacted, but the decision to focus on her other two children had been made years before and she had come to terms with that decision. If that meant putting a little bit of space between her and Naruto in order to save the world, then so be it.

The pain of leaving Naruto behind still resided within her, but she fought against it and distanced herself from the boy in order to avoid these feelings. Looking back towards the door that her son had run to, her maternal instinct screamed at her to go and apologize for scolding him so harshly, but she quelled that instinct and turned around. Little did she know that when Naruto had entered the training ground, Menma and Narumi had immediately started to hatefully glare at their brother.

 _Flashback End_

Time and time again, she had ignored her first born son's desperate cries for attention until he fell out of her view as a son. After years of neglect, his presence and importance faded from being one of her most precious people to being nothing more than a common villager. She didn't care about his need for his mother because the constant cycle of her just trying to avoid her son out of pain became something far more cruel in an attempt to quell that pain. The entirety of her children's lives had been irreparably damaged because of the decisions that she made.

A tear fell down her face as she remembered what should have been a red flag to her, but she was preoccupied.

 _Flashback_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T FOUND HIM!?" Kushina yelled at her sorrow filled husband. According to Menma and Narumi, Naruto had not been in the village for over a month. She had of course yelled at her two remaining children upon discovery for not telling them, but were met with the cold hard answer of "We didn't think you cared". Although it couldn't be further from the truth, the horrible realization was that Menma and Narumi had no reason to believe any different if her years of ignoring Naruto weren't evidence enough.

Thinking of Menma and Narumi would cause her mood to worsen. Since her eldest had left, a sheet had been raised that revealed what the result of her parenting had produced. Her remaining two children were arrogant, spoiled, and entitled brats. They had received years of praise and adulation from everyone around them without a hint of criticism and it was all her fault.

Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, she returned back to the present as she stood outraged in front of Minato who had Jiraiya behind him.

Minato sighed sadly. I have sent every Inuzaka, Hyuga, Aburame, and Uchiha tracking team we have, hell I've even asked the toads and Kakashi's dogs, but none have returned with results. If I knew where he was, Kami knows that I would flash to him in a second" the blonde Hokage said with heavy sorrow in his voice which caused Kushina to lighten up. The disappearance of their son had taken a heavy toll on her husband, something that she occasionally forgot from time to time. For a short moment, there was nothing but silence, until someone who just didn't belong decided to speak up.

"Look, I know that you miss Naruto, but we still need to focus on the twins. Let's just put him on the back burner for now and keep training Menma and Narumi. I'll try to make time to look into a few connections, but we really need to just move on" the toad sage said but regretted it quickly as killer intent flooded the office.

Minato looked up at his sensei with a furious expression on his face for the man's disregard to his own godson's well being, but it was nothing compared to Kushina who looked more terrifying than the Shinigami itself. A golden chakra chain sped through the sannin's right shoulder as it painfully twisted once buried within. "You listen to me you pathetic old fool. We would not be in this situation had you not forced your ridiculous prophecy upon us. Because of you, my son is out there and I have no idea of whether or not he is alive so I will issue this warning to you because of your connection to my husband. I will kill you. I will kill you in a way that is more painful than anything you could ever imagine. Jiraiya the Toad Fool will be a name spoken only out of mockery after you die and your legacy will mean nothing" she said in a dark voice before backing up and focusing on both Jiraiya and her husband. "Pray Jiraiya that my son is okay. Because if he isn't, then not only will I kill you, but I will find my way to Mount Myoboku and slaughter every Kami damned toad from the eldest toad to the newest of tadpoles" Kushina promised before roughly taking out her chakra chain and leaving the office in a storm.

Both men were shaking at Kushina's words knowing full well that she would follow up on her words because an Uzumaki never breaks a promise. Jiraiya and Minato would never tell anyone, but a large spot of piss covered both of their pants.

 _Flashback End_

Kushina almost wanted to laugh at that day as she reminisced on it. She had meant every word, and Jiraiya was lucky that Naruto had returned. Her mood dropped slightly at the thought of her son missing for the second time, but like before he would return not only to his village, but his mother's arms as well. A small smile started to form on her face before she heard a knock on the door from Konan signalling that it was time to leave.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Minato sat in his chair with his hands folded on top of each other. Today was the day when he would leave for Iron Country to meet with each of the village leaders. The blonde had a good feeling about the leaders listening to his plea since they had seen first hand the power that the weakest of the Shinigami's Blade had held. He had decided to bring along his wife, Konan, and Yakumo as an escort team. Shaking his head, he knew exactly why this meeting of kages was taking place and whose fault it was.

Years of neglect had made his oldest son feel unwanted to the point of leaving the village as an untrained child. Even after returning, his and Kushina's relationship with their son was warped and odd to say the least. Naruto was starting to show them affection as a child would towards his or her parent, but he still had some hidden feelings of anger and hurt behind the love he gave. It hurt Minato to see his son in such pain but was so happy when Naruto had told him and Kushina that they would be able to reconstruct their relationship when he returned, but fate was cruel and now his son was missing.

The blonde Hokage's thoughts drifted to a few moments in his son's life that had created the neglectful father persona that Naruto had been forced to witness everyday,

 _Flashback_

Minato had just gotten home and was excited to join Kushina, Menma, and Narumi for training. As he removed his standard jounin flak jacket that he always wore under his cape, he heard the door open. Turning to see who it was, the blonde man's excited smile immediately turned into a frown of annoyance. With a sigh and a shake of his head, Minato crossed his arms and looked down at his first born son. "What do you want Naruto?" Minato asked trying to get the kid to go away as fast as possible. Naruto shifted his feet as he looked at the ground and with a shaky voice, asked quietly, "I was wondering if maybe I could train with all of you today" the little blonde asked.

The older blonde walked to his bedroom door and looked down at his son until the boy got the message and moved out of the way. Walking at a quick pace, he noticed his son speed up too while expecting an answer which annoyed him. Stopping abruptly, Minato turned to Naruto giving off an angry expression that caused the child to cower within himself.

"Naruto, I don't have time for this so let me make this clear for the FINAL time. You will learn how to be a shinobi at the academy where it will be up to you whether or not you become stronger. I don't have the time to waste on you because I have to focus on Menma and Narumi. They are the priority for now and I cannot have you distracting them. So as I have told you time and time again, no Naruto, neither me nor your mother will be training you" Minato said and turned around, not even waiting for a response.

If he had turned, he would have seen his first born child allowing tears to stream down his face. The little blonde boy wrapped his arms around his body as he went to his room sobbing. While the oldest child was bawling his eyes out in his room, the Hokage was laughing as he trained and spent enjoyable time with his children and wife.

 _Flashback End_

Minato closed his eyes at that memory. It was truly the final time that he ever heard a request from Naruto because the boy took his father's words to heart. Shaking his head, he just couldn't find out any reason for why he had decided to ignore Naruto. The blonde Hokage considered himself to be a good person for the most part, but when it came to treating and raising his own son, he was a heartless bastard. He remembered the when he had finally come to that conclusion only a month after realizing that his son was gone as a result of him.

 _Flashback_

The Fourth Hokage sat in his desk. It was two in the morning and the man reeked of sake. The multiple bottles that littered his desk explained it. A face that was usually clean cut was now covered in stained stubble and his eyes remained bloodshot and unfocused. Minato wanted to throw the bottles at the wall, he wanted to throw something, he wanted to break something. His son had left and it was all his fault. The only thing keeping him from having a complete mental breakdown was that he had to remain in his right state of mind and hope that one day he would be given the chance to make up for his mistakes.

Raising a head to look at the picture that he kept on his desk, the picture that reminded him that he once was an alone orphan but now had incredible family, he noticed that Naruto wasn't even in the photo. Shaking his head, Minato let out tears not even bothering to wipe them up as he took another swig of sake. He had ruined everything despite being the "Most Powerful Shinobi in the World". What was the point in being the most powerful ninja in the world if you couldn't even protect your family?

He had ruined his family, caused Menma and Narumi to become questionable people, and forced his oldest son to go through the same feeling of loneliness but amplified even more since Naruto didn't just feel alone, he felt unwanted. Minato took another long swig of sake from the battle.

 _Flashback End_

Minato shook his head at the memories. He had vowed never to make his son feel that way again and hopefully that vow had been unbroken. Before he could delve any deeper into the past, a knock sounded at the office door causing the man to look up. "Come in" Minato said and was happy to see Itachi enter. "Ah Itachi, I am leaving in a few minutes. I called you here because while I am gone, you will be the acting Hokage" said the blonde who chuckled at the Uchiha's expression. "Listen Itachi, you are one of my most trusted and loyal ninja. I'm sure that you can hold everything down while I am away" Minato said standing up and putting a hand on Itachi's shoulder.

The Uchiha still had a shocked look but nodded without speaking a word. "I will not fail you Lord Hokage" Itachi said getting on one knee and lowering his head. He looked up when he heard his Hokage chuckle. "Stand up Itachi. And like I've told you before, you may call me Minato" the blonde said with a smile and helping Itachi up.

The jounin was still in shock before he looked up at his leader. "But why me Minato?" Itachi asked with a somewhat desperate tone. Minato's smile grew a little bigger at the question. "Because Itachi, I trust you. I have watched you grow into an incredible ninja. Success at such a young age would get to most people's heads, but not you. You are a ninja unlike most others. That is why I trusted you with my son and that is why I am trusting you with my village. Protect it well" Minato said before walking out of his office and leaving Itachi to acclimate to his new surroundings.

(Gates of Konoha)

Minato, Kushina, and Konan stood at the gates with a determined look on their faces. Yakumo stood beside them with a determined look, but underneath was that of a cold blooded killer. Ever since learning of Naruto going missing, she had started to train harder and harder to the point of almost hurting herself. The girl's genjutsu was turning the subject into a respectable on. Yakumo trained in her taijutsu and with her scythe even more. Her training had eventually reached a point that Konan had to step in and forcibly make her stop. After some talking and a lot of crying, the chunin assured her master that she was ready to resume her duties as a ninja.

The four powerful shinobi took one last look behind them at the village before they left for the Land of Iron. The first step in planning to destroy the Shinigami's Blade had begun.

* * *

(Underneath Konoha)

Danzo stood among his ROOT ninja, many recently hired powerful ninja, and even more ninja from most of the clans. Stepping forward, Danzo smiled at the people. "My people, the Fourth Hokage has left Konoha. We will wait for him to reach the Land of Iron before we begin the attack. Once he arrives, we will take back Konoha and the village will be run by the people. No longer will a child be allowed to rule this village and force everyone else to follow his rule. Konoha is ours" Danzo announced and smiled at the cheers of agreement and applause.

When the man turned around, an evil grin found it's way to his face. Numbers from each of the ninja clans had joined under his rule and soon he would be the unquestioned ruler of Konoha and eventually the elemental nations. As he walked away, he noticed the leader of the Uchiha clan along with two Hyuga clan elders standing and waiting for him. Approaching the three, Danzo looked at the group before smiling. "So I take it that I have your support?" Danzo asked.

Just as Fugaku was about to speak, the two Hyuga elders spoke first. "We will support you and your role as Hokage so long as we are given what we were promised. We want a more powerful caged bird seal. Ever since that blonde bastard broke the seals from every branch member, they have started to think of themselves as our true equal. In the world we live in, it's best for people to learn their place sooner rather than later. We will make sure that the lesser members of the Hyuga clan will stay in check and you will have the full support of the Hyuga clan" an elder said which got a raised eyebrow from Danzo and a shake of the head from Fugaku.

"I notice that Hiashi is not in attendance" the crippled man pointed out. The elders shook their heads quickly. "What is happening now does not involve him. It's about time for a new head of the clan. One who understands the need for a lesser branch more than Hiashi" said the other elder.

Danzo nodded before looking at Fugaku who was standing with his arms crossed. "Anything that you would like to add Fugaku?" the crippled elder asked. Fugaku looked at Danzo with narrowed eyes for a long moment. The stare went on long enough that the Hyuga elders had slowly left the two to continue their conversation in private. Waiting long enough, Fugaku broke the silence. "As long as you keep to your word and give control of Konoha to the Uchiha, then you will have my clan at your disposal in taking over the village" the Uchiha said which got a smile and nod from Danzo before the man walked off to converse with his followers.

Turning around to leave, Fugaku gave one look back at Danzo manipulating the mass of people before turning around and walking off. Within his own head, Fugaku had not even thought about where he was going but before he knew it, he had made his way home. As he came back to, he realized that he had stopped outside of his youngest son's room. With a slight hesitance, Fugaku quietly opened the door and upon seeing that Sasuke was asleep, entered the room. Slowly coming to stand in front of his sleeping son, he let a small smile appear on his face as he gently brushed some hair out of Sasuke's eyes.

After about two minutes of staying in Sasuke's room, Fugaku slowly walked out of his son's room and into the hallway where he silently slid against the wall to the ground. Sitting on the floor, Fugaku looked down as tears fell from his face for the first time since he was a child. "Mikoto, Itachi, Sasuke, please forgive me. What I do is for the best of not only you, but the entire Uchiha clan" Fugaku whispered before closing his eyes. When he looked up, he had the fabled Mangekyo Sharingan activated. "I will be gone from this world soon, but ancestors I beg of you to guide my children and allow my wife happiness. Mikoto always deserved better than a bastard like me" Fugaku said chuckling at the end of his prayer as tears still flowed from his eyes but he smiled nonetheless.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I know that many of you have been waiting for more revelation and insight into why Naruto was neglected and the way things went down. The way that Naruto was neglected and that entire period was kind of rushed and ill written mostly because I was still new to all of this. Hopefully my writing has gotten better as the story has progressed and this chapter corrects some early mistakes. I hope that this chapter cleared things up and maybe quelled the concerns that a lot of you had. Anyway I hope that you all liked the chapter and continue to enjoy the story and I hope to see you all again next chapter.


	39. A New Naruto and a New Acquaintance

PinkiePieParty122894: I am excited to write Danzo's death as well.

1995hzq: I'm sure that things won't go as planned for Danzo but he will do some damage to Konoha. I'm glad that you are liking it.

UnsanMusho: He's pretty beat down if not broken from his recent experience with the twins and the Shinigami's Blade.

Animaman: In terms of Fugaku, don't judge a book by it's cover. His future actions or explanations may surprise you. I plan on bringing more explanation of how the parents neglected Naruto when he returns. The meeting between Minato, Kushina, Menma, and Narumi is pretty brief this chapter and their isn't really any conversation between them. I'll have to think about Yakumo exploding on Naruto's parents, Orochimaru is going to be the most grounded Sanin (ironic isn't it), and Danzo isn't being played really. The old man is just really ambitious and believes too strongly in his village's potential for superiority.

demigodninja21: We will see if it's Naruto who kills Danzo. Maybe or maybe not.

Rebmul: It is a shame that Haku died but I felt it was the right way to go and I can't say the outcome of the twins just yet.

* * *

Two figures stood in the darkness looking down at a soulful presence lying in darkness.

"Well I'll be damned, the kid survived the Destiny Seal. You must be proud Tenji" spoke the voice of a recently defeated dragon summoner through the darkness.

Whomever the voice was addressing chuckled before responding. "Proud indeed. He shows incredible potential and an indomitable will. I believe that he will become the greatest swordsman in our line yet. One day, all will know the name "Lunar Swordsman"" spoke the wise voice of the first legendary swordsman with a prideful tone. Tenji turned to his side. "So what now Ryuki?" Tenji asked but was met with the sight of Ryuki slowly fading into dust.

Ryuki looked up with a smile. "Now, I will finally enter the afterlife for good. As a reward for defeating me, I have imprinted my most precious and sacred technique within his mind. It will take time for the technique to reveal itself to him, but he is the one that I entrust it to" the dragon summoner said before his entire being faded into dust. Ryuki the dragon summoner had finally reached the afterlife, he was finally at peace.

The thought of Ryuki passing on brought a slight smile to Tenji's face before he looked at the spiritual form that was starting to take shape. "It is time to awaken young swordsman, and when you do, your journey will continue" said Tenji as the form started to take on the appearance of Naruto more and more every second. Twenty seconds later, the lost spirit had regained itself and reformed. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze had returned to the land of the living.

(Paradise)

Naruto's eyes shot open. Blinking slowly, the Konoha ninja brought up his arm to shield his eyes from the brightness of the overhead sun. His arm felt like it was supporting five hundred pounds and it became a struggle to keep it raised. Once again blinking, Naruto slowly and with great effort raised himself into a sitting position. Still blinking slowly, the swordsman raised a hand to his head which was throbbing very painfully. Taking a few deep breaths, Naruto's eyes slowly became adjusted to the sunlight. When he was able to see his surroundings completely, his eyes widened slightly.

The area that he had woken up in was perfect. The grass was a perfect light green color with each blade the same height as the next. A crystal blue river quietly rushed a short distance away from him. The sky was a picture perfect image of a perfect sky. The beautiful light blue color that could entrance anyone who looked up, the completely white and fluffy clouds that slowly drifted across the ocean of blue, and the bright and radiant sun that provided the ideal amount of warmth. Looking around him, he noticed that a series of beautiful oak trees surrounded where he was sitting giving off a forest vibe. As Naruto continued to admire his surroundings, he sensed someone coming from behind him.

Slowly, the chunin turned, hoping that whomever or whatever it was that it wasn't hostile. Preparing to defend himself as best he could without the use of his legs, the boy was surprised when a small black haired girl entered the area with a picnic basket on her arm.

As soon as the girl entered the area, she looked up and upon seeing Naruto sitting up, she smiled a large smile. "You're awake!" shouted the girl who ran to Naruto, her basket going up and down with every step. Quickly appearing in front of Naruto, the girl sat down on her knees and set the picnic basket down beside her. Before Naruto could say a single word, the girl beat him to the punch. "I was wondering when you were gonna wake up mister. You're lucky that I found you. Anyways, I'm happy that you're awake because now I don't have to eat all of this food by myself again" the girl said with a slight pout before opening her basket.

Naruto was silent as his brain tried to process everything. Blinking rapidly, he examined the girl who had pulled out a small folded tablecloth. The girl quickly spread out the cloth as best as she could before pulling two plates out and setting them down. After the plates were set, Naruto briefly wondered what meal the girl had prepared. His anticipation died and he sweatdropped when he saw the girl pull out the makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked as the girl continued to make the sandwiches. After finishing the creation of the meal quickly, the girl looked up with a smile. "I'm Aiko" the girl said, her smile so infectious that it caused Naruto to smile himself.

* * *

(Iron Country)

The five great ninja village leaders each sat at a large wooden table within the designated room in Iron Country. Minato sat with Kushina, Konan, and Yakumo surrounding him. A, the Raikage, sat with Darui who was a talented jounin within the Hidden Cloud Village, the two tailed jinchuriki Yugito, and the eight tailed jinchuriki and brother to the Raikage, Killer Bee. Onoki, the Tsuchikage, sat with his son Kitsuchi, his bodyguard Akatsuchi, and his ambitious granddaughter Kurotsuchi. The Mizukage, Mei Terumi, sat with her bodyguards Ao and Chojuro. The Kazekage, Gaara, sat with his sister Temari, his brother Kankuro, and his adviser Baki. At the head of the table sat the samurai Mifune who would serve as the moderator for the summit.

Minato looked around the room at the powerful people that resided within. After ten seconds of examining the room, the blonde Hokage spoke. "I have called for this summit so that we may address a threat that has been ignored for too long. The Shinigami's Blade" he said causing each of the kages to narrow their eyes. "We can confirm that three of them are dead but the two most powerful members remain along with my children Menma and Narumi" Minato informed getting a snort from A.

"So that's why you put your children in the Bingo Book. So much for the perfect man and his perfect family" A said with a mocking smirk which received a glare from both Minato and Kushina. "Hurry up and get to the point Minato, some of us have villages to run. Do you have any information that will help us beat them or not?" A asked crossing his muscular arms. The entire room looked at the blonde Hokage expectantly.

The Fourth Hokage sighed and nodded. "Recently, Jiraiya of the Sanin managed to find out the location of the Shinigami's Blade's base of operations. He infiltrated the base and eventually made contact with the leader and my two children" Minato started getting wide eyed and interested looks from everyone in the room. "The leader did not fight but Menma and Narumi did and viciously destroyed Jiraiya who is currently in recovery. The only reason he was left alive was to be seen as a warning sign"the blonde Hokage stopped allowing the idea of a Sannin falling to two children to digest.

After allowing a short time for everyone to think on his words, Minato continued. "That being said, we need to create a coalition of nations in order to take out this threat. They are becoming more and more powerful. I have no doubt that if the group desired it, they could destroy any of our villages. But if we come together, our numbers will hopefully be able to drown them out and we will extinguish the Shinigami's Blade" Minato finished.

The room was silent for a long time after Minato's suggestion. Each leader was trying to think about ways to handle what was a serious threat to each of their villages and whether or not Minato's solution was sound enough to work. After serious contemplation, Onoki the Tsuchikage was the first to speak.

"In my long tenure as not only a kage but a shinobi, I have never seen a threat as serious as the Shinigami's Blade" Onoki said turning to A and his group. "One of their weakest members destroyed us in battle and had it not been for Minato's first born, we would be dead. The leader would have killed us without any effort of that I am sure" the old kage said before looking towards Minato. "This group is a threat to the shinobi way of life and each of our respective villages. Though I and my village may despise you Yellow Flash, Iwa will not cower from the Shinigami's Blade. Avalanches of earth will rain down on their small group as Iwa buries them" Onoki finished with a passion not used in many years. Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Kurotsuchi looked at their leader with admiration and nodded in agreement.

Mei took a breath and stood up. "When we needed help to reclaim Kiri and begin to bring it back to its former glory, you answered our plea. I have not personally seen this group you speak of but I will trust in your word and answer your call for help. The Hidden Mist will drown the Shinigami's Blade and if they still live, I will turn them to ash myself. Kiri will assist Konoha and Iwa in the fight against the Shinigami's Blade" the red headed Mizukage stated which received a nod from Ao and a smile from Chojuro.

Gaara sat in his chair quietly and thought about his words before standing up. "You will have the power of the Hidden Sand Village at your disposal" the raccoon-eyed Kazekage said crossing his arms while Kankuro, Temari, and Baki sighed at their leader's inability to give a proper inspiring speech.

Everyone turned to A who was still sitting with his hands folded in front of him examining everyone in the room. "Where is the boy who killed the member that we could not?" A asked making everyone's attention shift back to Minato who was trying his best to conceal his nervousness at the question. A didn't see anything given away by the blonde Hokage's face, but he did notice the subtle flinch of the brown haired girl that was a part of the Konoha group.

Thinking quickly, Minato didn't miss a beat at the question. "Naruto is currently on a secret mission that I cannot speak about" Minato said getting a suspicious look from the Raikage. "My son's presence is not what we are here to discuss. The Shinigami's Blade is a real threat and it will take all of us and all of our ninja to defeat them, you know this A" the Hokage said now in a pleading tone. Bee, Darui, and Yugito looked at their leader expectantly while the muscular man continued to think.

A stood from his chair. "For now, we are in agreement" the Raikage said but before Minato could say anything, the Raikage spoke again. "However, when the time comes to attack the Shinigami's Blade, if your son is not there then Kumo will not risk the lives of it's shinobi on an unlikely victory" A finished. The Hokage slowly nodded while praying to Kami for Naruto's return in his head.

A laugh suddenly sounded from within the room causing everyone to become alert. The laughing grew louder as a distortion in the room started to form. A few seconds after the distortion appeared, a man stepped out followed by a woman and two insane children. "Didn't you get my message about what would happen if you tried something like this" the man said with a smile. His identity immediately revealed itself to everyone in the room.

The leader of the Shinigami's Blade had arrived.

* * *

(Paradise)

Naruto sat in the forest clearing with Aiko who was happily looking at the many beautiful butterflies that had arrived. The sandwich that the girl had made him earlier had satisfied his hunger and he could feel a little of his strength returning. Biting his lip, Naruto began to push himself off of the ground which gained the attention of Aiko. The girl quickly got up from her sitting position and rushed to Naruto's side. "Let me help mister" Aiko said immediately trying to help the ninja up. Just when Naruto was about to refuse, a surge of strength flowed through him at Aiko's touch giving him the ability to slowly get up on his two feet.

It took some time, but with Aiko's help the chunin stood while partially leaning on the girl. Taking multiple deep breaths, Naruto grunted as he took a step forward. His legs felt numb and his body was telling him to quit and just lie back down, but something deeper urged him to keep going. Step by step the ninja moved without a clear destination in mind while the girl helping him assisted him without any hesitation. After a few minutes of walking, the two came to a flowing stream of water. "I can take it from here Aiko" Naruto said getting the girl to hesitantly let go. Naruto took a few steps before stumbling and falling into the water. Just as the boy was about to try standing again, a shock went through his entire body. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Aiko rushing to his side.

(Inside Naruto's Mind)

Naruto's eyes shot open and he sat up looking around him. He was sitting in what seemed to be an endless golden plain. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze" a voice spoke causing the boy to look around him even more rapidly. Thankfully his curiosity was sated quickly. In front of him, ten figures shimmered into existence in a shining light. When the light died down, Naruto's eyes widened at the identities of the figures. Each one held a sword and each one was looking at him with a smile. None of them had a bigger smile however than the blue haired woman at the end of the line of swordsmen. Naruto shakily stood up, his mouth agape. All ten of his predecessors stood in front of him in all of their glory, each one radiating power.

The first swordsman in line, Tenji, stepped forward with his sword in hand. "We have watched you for the short time that you have been a swordsman. In that short time, you have shown the potential to be the best of us. It is time for you to unlock your full power Naruto just as we did before. The legacy of the legendary swordsman has been passed down for generations and now rests in your hands. I, Tenji, the Swordsman of the Sun, pass to you my legacy" the man said before stepping back. The next man stepped forward wearing a black overcoat with long black hair. The blade in his hand was black and serrated. "I, Shoji, the Swordsman of the Shadows, pass to you my legacy" he said returning to his spot shortly afterwards. The third swordsman, a large brown haired man with a heavy looking grey and bulky sword stepped up. "I, Tenkura, the Swordsman of the Forest, pass to you my legacy" Tenkura said with a smile and nod before returning to his spot.

The fourth swordsman who was holding a reddish gray curved sword and had a head of gray hair walked up with a smirk. "I, Kobura, the Swordsman of the Ash, pass to you my legacy" he said before backing up into his spot. The fifth swordsman stepped up wielding two bluish gray swords and smiled. "I, Kojura, Swordsman of the Storm, pass to you my legacy" the swordsman said to Naruto before stepping back in line. Next walked forward the sixth swordsman, a muscular blonde haired man wielding a bronze broadsword. "I, Hoshi, the Swordsman of the Earth, pass to you my legacy" the man said before giving a short nod and returning to his spot. After Hoshi returned to his spot, a man with long black hair and strange grin on his face stepped forward. He held by his side a stained red scimitar. "I, Korabusa, the Swordsman of the Blood, pass to you my legacy" he said before returning to his spot beside an uncomfortable looking Hoshi. The eighth swordsman walked forward and Naruto immediately felt a feeling of familiarity. The swordsman was a woman with red hair done together in two buns and she held a long, silver, katana in her hand. "I, Mito, the Swordsman of the Whirlpool, pass to you my legacy" she said giving a large smile as Naruto's eyes widened at the name. When Mito returned to her spot, the ninth swordsman stepped forward. He was an average looking brown haired man who held a green tinted curved blade. He looked at Naruto for a short moment before smiling. "I, Seto, Swordsman of the Grass, pass to you my legacy" he said before returning to his spot.

Finally, the tenth swordsman stepped forward with the proudest smile of any of the swordsmen there. She came to stand directly in front of Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked up at the swordsman with tears in his eyes as the swordsman looked down at the blonde with tears in hers. "Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, it seems like forever since I chose you to become my successor. I chose you because I saw a spirit inside of you that refused to stop fighting, someone who could be great, someone with potential. Throughout your brief journey as a swordsman, I have seen your accomplishments, each one greater than the last. You have not only made me the proudest teacher ever, you have affirmed everything that I ever thought of you. That being said, I, Sera, the Swordsman of the Water, pass to you, Naruto, the Swordsman of the Moon, my legacy. You now truly hold the position and power of the eleventh swordsman, the Lunar Soldier" the blue haired swordsman said with her tears now starting to spill over. Naruto quickly pulled the woman into a hug and the two let their tears fall.

The rest of the swordsmen looked among each other and smiled before slowly vanishing into nothing leaving Naruto and his teacher alone. Within the confines of Naruto's mind, the two spoke about many things whether it was catching up or telling each other how much they missed the other. Unfortunately, all things come to an end, and after a long period of catching up, it was time for Sera to go. When she did leave however, there were no tears in the tenth and eleventh swordsman's eyes. Only smiles remained as the two had finally reached peace.

(Paradise)

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He quickly noticed that he was no longer in the beautiful forest of before but instead, a quaint bedroom. Slowly, the blonde started to sit up only for Aiko to immediately appear in front of him causing him to fall back down in slight shock. Aiko giggled at Naruto and went to the corner of the room where a chair rested before promptly pulling the chair to the side of the bed and sitting down. The girl looked at Naruto with what seemed to be her giant trademark smile.

Taking a short breath, Naruto slowly sat up again. "Where am I?" the blonde asked causing Aiko's smile to widen even further. "You're at my house. After you fell asleep, I had to drag you all the way here. You're really heavy you know. I bet your so heavy because you spend all day sleeping. I like to sleep to but it's a lot more fun playing in the sun even though my mom doesn't like me going to far off to play. Oh yeah, you'll get to meet my mom later and then" "Calm down Aiko" Naruto interrupted causing the girl to slightly pout but quickly regain her smile. Her smile eventually caused Naruto to let a small smile appear. It was impossible to be annoyed by her.

* * *

(Iron Country)

Everyone in the room was in a battle stance as they stood across from the four members of the Shinigami's Blade. Killer intent radiated off of Minato, Kushina, and Konan, but it exploded off of Yakumo who seemed to have the Shinigami himself behind her. Minato quickly took out his tri pronged kunai, chains erupted from Kushina, Yakumo summoned her scythe, A activated his Lightning Armor, dust started to form around Onoki, sand flowed from Gaara's gourd, and Mifune removed his sword from his sheath.

Mifune pointed his sword at Tsuranabi, an act that caused the man to scowl. "Who are you and why are you here?" the samurai asked, demanding an answer. Tsuranabi looked the man up and down before responding. "Put the sword down old man, only one person could have challenged me in combat and unfortunately he has been eliminated" the dark haired swordsman said and immediately summoned his sword to block a slice of Yakumo's scythe. He looked into the girl's eyes and looked past the tears in her eyes. Anger, hatred, and the desire for vengeance shined as she pushed down on her scythe harder. Tsuranabi sighed before barely pushing back sending the girl speeding into Konan's arms.

Tsuranabi redirected his gaze to the rest of the room. "Put your weapons down, all of you know that even together you are no match for me. Besides, I did not come here to fight" he said only causing everyone to increase their guard. Tsuranabi sighed again. "I do not wish for conflict, I wish to end it. Do you not see that the actions of each of you puts your own people at risk every day. If you only submit to me, all conflict, all war, and all bloodshed will end. I will make a perfect world, something that each of you kage have neglected to try. Let me save you and your people" the man said waiting for the answers of the kage.

Mifune tightened his grip on his sword. "You are not welcome her. Now I will ask you one last time to-" the old samurai was stopped by a sudden pain in his chest. Slowly looking down, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of a hand covered in red chakra going out of his chest. Turning his head, he looked into the eyes of Menma who was grinning. "You talk too much old man" the boy said. Before Mifune could take another breath, Narumi appeared in front of the man and a second later, Mifune's head was detached from his body. Narumi looked down with a smile as she held her sword in hand now dripping with the blood of the leader of Iron Country.

The other occupants excluding Tsuranabi and Sashira were wide eyed in shock. Tsuranabi raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Menma, Narumi, Sashira, it is time for us to return. Obviously we will not get favorable answers today" he said as a distortion started to form in the room. As he started to turn around, the black haired swordsman moved his head to the side just in time to avoid a strike from A's fist. Tsuranabi jabbed his elbow backwards hard into the Raikage's ribs making a noticeable breaking sound occur and bringing the blonde to his knees. Now fully turned around, Tsuranabi watched in amusement as the occupants of the room prepared to attack. Before they could however, the black haired man simply chuckled before vanishing into the distortion behind him as did Sashira. When everyone turned around, they were surprised to see that Menma and Narumi were gone as well.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, sorry it took so long again. My job has been ramping up and school has started back up so it's taking up most of my time. I know that this isn't one of my better chapters and I am sorry about that, I just wanted to get a chapter out this month and I plan to be better. Again I am really sorry if I disappointed you at all but I will try extra hard to pump these out better. I would also like to emphasize that **I AM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY**. I hope that it has been good enough to keep you all reading and invested and I will try to do better.


	40. The Last Perfect Place

PinkiePieParty122894: Once again appreciate the review and hope that you like this chapter.

Animaman: I will probably have the talk between the Sannin next chapter. Shinigami's Blade background will come in a later chapter, and Madara died with the rest of the Akatsuki when they were killed by the Shinigami's Blade.

thor94: We'll have to see about the powerups, just wait until this chapter and then tell me what you think of Tsuranabi. I can't say what the end result of the battles between Naruto and the Shinigami's Blade will be.

Roland's Blade: I understand the dislike of the early chapters but I think that it gets a lot better as it progresses. The early going was a bit rough because this is only my second fanfic but it does get better (in my opinion).

Guest: You say trash fic but there are a lot of people who say different. Sorry that you didn't like it but at least tell me what you didn't like.

Guest: There are parts of the story that are rough but eventually it comes together (in my opinion).

Stephane Klein: Honestly couldn't find a great translation but what I did find was long live. If you meant long live the story I really appreciate it.

* * *

(Iron Country)

Minato sat in the conference room along with the other kage and sighed. It had been a day since the funeral of Mifune, five days since the samurai's death. The blonde Hokage couldn't help but wonder for the millionth time what led to this mess. Two of his children were responsible for killing the leader of an entire country seemingly without remorse. As a matter of fact, it looked almost as if the two had enjoyed murdering the samurai. A small part of him had been hoping that he would be able to get his children out of the grasp of the Shinigami's Blade and bring them home. That hope was dashed now. Menma and Narumi, along with their comrades of the Shinigami's Blade were now the most wanted criminals in the elemental nations. There would be no sanctuary for the two children. The moment that they were caught, they would be tortured for days on end and then executed.

Minato sighed again. His wife had not left the bedroom, opting to instead cry at the monsters her children had become. It was a stressful situation, one that the man was sure would not be ending any time soon. His thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of a fist on the table in front of him. Minato looked up as did all the kage to see an irate and fuming A standing up.

"DAMMIT! What in Kami's name is happening? How the hell did two children become that strong?" A growled while clenching his fists.

Minato shook his head at his fellow kage's outburst, but he understood it. Menma and Narumi both exuded a dark and malefic power when they appeared, but it was nothing compared to the aura that radiated off of Tsuranabi. It was a power that shouted the message that the Shinigami's Blade leader could do anything he wanted and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. Well there was one, but thinking about him just caused Minato's heart to ache.

The blonde Hokage took a breath before speaking from his chair. "It must have been Tsuranabi. He is the only member that we have no intel on so it's perfectly feasible that he has some kind of special ability to empower those who he chooses" Minato said getting a few strange looks from the other kages.

It was Mei who spoke up next. "Listen Minato, we need to know all of the information that you have on the Shinigami's Blade, especially if you want the support of Kiri" the auburn haired woman said getting nods from her fellow leaders in the room.

After a few moments of thinking about where to start, Minato sighed and spoke. "Here's what we know."

* * *

(Paradise)

Naruto stood in front of a waterfall soaking in the water. His eyes were closed as he thought about prior events, specifically his meeting of Aiko's mother.

(Flashback)

Aiko was helping Naruto stand when her bedroom door opened. Both Aiko and Naruto stopped in their place to see a average sized black haired woman dressed in a light blue shirt and dark pants standing in the doorway. Her eyes were widened and her jaw was slightly ajar. A second later, the woman had appeared beside Aiko and pulled her away causing Naruto to fall on his face. The woman quickly placed Aiko behind her and stood in a defensive position as she looked at the blonde ninja struggling to get up.

"Who are you and what are you doing with my daughter?" the woman said almost yelling. She kept her eyes glued to Naruto as he started to push himself up. Her attention was taken away from the boy however by the tugging of her shirt. After a few seconds of aggressive tugging, the woman looked down at her daughter who had a worried look on her face. "What is it Aiko?" the woman asked.

The little girl looked at her mom and then to Naruto who was still struggling to stand up. "Mom, he needs our help. I found him sleeping in the forest and when he woke up, he wasn't feeling good" Aiko said tugging on her mother's arm.

The older woman looked down at her daughter and bit her lip. Aiko was so pure that her acts of kindness and willingness to believe in others constantly flirted on the edge of naivety. The mother slowly turned her attention to the boy in front of her who had finally risen albeit he was shaking as he forced himself to stand. The blonde haired boy looked weak and lethargic to her and with begrudgingly accepted the fact that her daughter was right. He did need their help.

Naruto stood though his muscles screamed at him to stop. With a deep breath, Naruto looked up into who was revealed to be Aiko's mom's eyes. "I understand your fear and uneasiness. I will leave immediately if you wish, just please do not blame Aiko. All she did was care for me and show me kindness" Naruto said before trying to take a few steps forward. As he took small steps, the blonde stumbled and prepared to collide with the floor. He was pleasantly surprised when he opened his eyes and realized that he had been caught. Looking upwards, Naruto looked into the uncertain eyes of Aiko's mother. The woman stared at him for a long time before letting out a sigh and lifting him up to his feet.

"It's time for Aiko's lunch and from the looks of it, you could use some food in you as well" the dark haired woman said as she started to walk while supporting the boy with Aiko following behind, a wide smile on her face. The three walked in silence out of Aiko's room, through the hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Aiko's mother and Naruto slowly made their way to the kitchen table where she lowered the boy into a chair. Aiko quickly took the chair next to Naruto with the same grin plastered on her face.

Aiko's mother stood up after setting Naruto in the chair and wiped a small bit of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Walking into the kitchen, the woman opened a drawer and cabinet pulling out the makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches causing Naruto to mentally raise an eyebrow. The blonde haired boy looked around and admired the quaint and homey feeling that the house provided. Naruto's attention shifted to the girl who was smiling at him. Smiling back, Naruto decided that it was time to start a conversation. "So Aiko, how old are you?"

Before Aiko could answer, the girl's mom interrupted. "Actually I would like to know more about you before we say anything about ourselves" the woman said turning around with a large plate that held six sandwiches. She gracefully walked to the table, set the plate down, and sat down beside Aiko and across Naruto, her eyes glued on the boy.

Naruto nodded at Aiko's mother's request. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. I come from the Hidden Leaf Village and I don't know where this place is or how I got here. All I want is to get home" Naruto said getting confused looks from Aiko and her mother. "Did I say something wrong?" the boy asked.

The black haired woman stared at Naruto for a long moment trying to pick out any type of deception in his eyes before speaking. "Well the place that you are in doesn't really have a name. We simply know it as Paradise. It's odd you being here because we don't have people come through this land. As for the Hidden Leaf Village, I can honestly say that I have never heard of such a place" she said causing Naruto's eyes to widen. Meanwhile, Aiko was on her third sandwich.

(End Flashback)

Naruto closed his eyes as he thought about his first impressions with Aiko's mother. He chuckled as he thought about little Aiko who continued to eat her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as he and her mother conversed about Paradise and all of the unique aspects of the land. He had spoken to the woman about any type of civilization nearby but Aiko's mother had not given him any reassuring answers. The people of Paradise lived off of the many gifts given to them by the land. There were no worries of danger from others, there was no worries of not having enough to eat or good enough living requirements. It truly was a Paradise and the name did it justice. By the end of his and Aiko's mother's conversation, Naruto had clarity, Aiko's mother knew who Naruto was, and Aiko had eaten a grand total of twelve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

With a smile on his face, Naruto took a deep breath. His smile slowly faded as he walked forward under the waterfall and began to concentrate. The perfect temperature water fell evenly on the blonde as he let it run along his body. Taking breaths in between the water, he looked inside of himself to find his chakra. His chakra pathways were all closed, that much he knew now, but they could be opened if he found his chakra center. Opening his chakra pathways were key to his body recovering. Minutes passed as the water continued to fall onto Naruto's shoulders. Still, he kept his eyes closed and continued to search through his body. More minutes passed before Naruto sensed something. Deep within, he felt his chakra. There was not a lot of it at the moment but that was about to change.

Naruto walked out from under the waterfall and stood in the pond with his eyes closed as he thought back to his time with the serpents. One of the last things that he had learned from Leviathan was how to jump start his chakra and make it stronger and more potent temporarily. The plan was to use the same technique and force his chakra pathways to open with a flood of newly formed chakra. The process was similiar to that of opening the eight gates and if Naruto got this wrong, it could kill him. Unfortunately, it was a risk that he had to take.

Raising his hands, Naruto placed them so that they sat just above the water and began to summon his chakra. It didn't take long to pull it from him and when he did, he immediately converted it to lightning chakra creating little bolts of lightning along his hands. With one last deep breath, he summoned up the rest of his chakra and slammed his hands into the water forcing the lightning down into the water as well. Immediately the electricity swarmed his lower body leveling shock wave after shock wave. The electricity coursed through his body causing the blonde to scream in pain but he kept pushing. The more he pushed, the more intense the shock waves became making him twitch as he stood. Just as he could take no more, the plan succeeded.

Lightning chakra coursed within Naruto's chakra coils. The lightning came to the first blockage in the pathways but after a short buildup, it forced the pathway open. The chakra sped through to the next blockage and quickly forced open the next pathway. One by one, each of Naruto's blocked chakra pathways were opened up painfully and chakra started to flow. The built up chakra surged through the boy giving him more chakra within his body than he had ever had in his life not including his chakra increase in the moonlight.

After two minutes of agonizing pain, Naruto opened his eyes gasping for air. His chakra was now opened and he would be able to heal at an Uzumaki rate now. Taking a few steps forward, Naruto stumbled but kept himself standing. With a frown, the Konoha ninja realized that he was still in some bad shape. His chakra pathways were opened and he could start generating chakra again, but his reserves were completely exhausted meaning that he couldn't head out just yet. With a sigh, Naruto waded to land and sat in the grass once he left the water.

* * *

(Iron Country)

Minato looked at the kages around him.

"Here's what we know about the Shinigami's Blade. Each one seems to have special abilities. We aren't sure if it is their sword that gives them the abilities or if they had them already. It would take only one of their members to take out a village and everyone in it. The four of them together, there is no question that they could take the entire continent over. So far, three of their members have been killed. The first one as you know was during the Chunin Exams when my son Naruto killed a member. On the way to assisting Kiri, I have been told that he killed a second member and while he was away, I killed a third member. However, Menma and Narumi as you saw have been taken into the ranks of the Shinigami's Blade and have received strength that comes with being a member. Jiraiya was able to find their base but Menma and Narumi almost ended his career and with ease according to him. I believe that Menma and Narumi have mastered the Kyuubi's chakra which is their ability, and my ninja Konan encountered another swordsman who for every strike landed, an equal strike was inflicted on the other side of the body" Minato said.

The blonde Hokage took a breath before continuing. "We have no information on the leader of the Shinigami's Blade. We don't know how powerful he is, we don't know any abilities he may or may not have, we know basically nothing" Minato finished with a tired tone.

The room was silent. Each of the other four kage were silent with a downcast look. The reality of the situation at hand struck particularly hard at Onoki the Tsuchikage and A the Raikage. Both of the two kages were prideful men who had worked their entire lives through grueling training only to be beaten with hardly any effort by one man. The fact that a low level member of the Shinigami's Blade that nearly killed three kage was beaten by a child was something that cut deeply into their pride as ninja. It also put things into perspective. It would take the concerted efforts of each of the five great ninja villages in order to have a chance to topple this still mysterious group.

A stood up bringing the attention to him. "Minato is right. The Shinigami's Blade is a threat that we cannot ignore any longer. Kumo will join this alliance and destroy these swordsmen" A said crossing his massive arms.

The room was quiet before Gaara stood. "The Shinigami's Blade provides a real threat to all of us. Suna will join in the assault of the Shinigami's Blade" the one tailed jinchuriki said in a low tone.

Mei stood up next with a sultry smile on her face. "You will have the assistance of Kiri along with the Swordsmen of the Mist and we will wipe the Shinigami's Blade from existence" the auburn haired Mizukage said with flirtatious tone and crossed her arms inadvertently pushing her breasts up.

Everyone's focus turned to the eldest kage who sat in his chair with a thoughtful expression on his face. After a minute of silence, Onoki stood up on his chair much to the secret amusement of his fellow kage. "Iwa and Konoha have been enemies for a long time. Perhaps it is time that an alliance be formed in order to take down this threat" the old man said.

Minato smiled at the responses that he had received. For the first time in ninja history, all five ninja villages would be allied against one enemy. "I know that it will take time for each of you to assemble your forces, but all that matters is that they are assembled and ready for battle. We are not fully aware of the strength of our enemy, but we do know their goal and location. They intend to destroy our ninja way of life and that will not stand. For the first time in history, all five ninja villages will be allies and the Shinigami's Blade will face the wrath of the elemental nations. Now, I think that we should reach out to the smaller villages as well and get their assistance" Minato said getting nods from everyone.

* * *

(Paradise)

Naruto was lying on the grass and basking in the sun when a shadow came over his face. Slowly opening his eyes, the blonde was met with the sight of a smiling Aiko. Naruto let a smile of his own grow on his face, a common occurrence whenever he came across the innocent little girl. "Hello Aiko, how are you doing?" the ninja asked the girl.

Aiko's smile widened. "You weren't home so I came looking for you. What are you doing Naruto?" the girl asked in a cheery tone.

The blonde slowly sat up and looked at the girl. "I was a little hurt before, so I had to help myself get better" he said and pushed himself up off of the ground. Getting to his feet, Naruto took a few breaths before standing up straight. Looking down at Aiko, he smiled again and patted her head causing the girl to giggle. "Aiko, I want to thank you for everything that you have done for me. When I was weak, you watched over me and for that I am very grateful" Naruto said causing Aiko to look down in hopes of hiding her blush as she smiled.

"You're welcome Naruto. I like having you here" the black haired girl said, her smile still plastered over her face. "Do you wanna get some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" Aiko asked with puppy dog eyes shining.

Naruto chuckled at how adorable the little girl could be before letting out a sigh. "I guess that I am feeling kinda hungry although I do wonder what your obsession with peanut butter jelly sandwiches is about" Naruto thought out loud not realizing the irony of his thoughts, especially when it came to his family love of ramen. "Let's go Aiko" the blonde said walking up beside the girl.

Aiko smiled and held out her hand which Naruto took and the two began to walk in the direction of her house. "It kinda looked like you were sleeping" Aiko said as they continued to walk which caused Naruto to laugh.

(Aiko's House)

The ninja and his new friend walked into Aiko's house through the front door hand in hand with Aiko skipping while humming and Naruto rolling his eyes at the ordeal but with a smile on his face. The two walked into the kitchen where Aiko's mother was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as if she had seen their future request coming. The woman looked up and smiled at the sight of her daughter and their guest returning. "Welcome back you two. You are both right on time for lunch. Go ahead and sit down at the table and I'll bring you your sandwiches" the mother requested.

Naruto and Aiko nodded before obeying the woman's request and taking their places at the table. A minute later, Aiko's mom brought forth a plate of six peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and placed it down on the table. Immediately after, she retrieved the plates, placed them in front of Aiko, Naruto, and her own spot, and then sat down beside Aiko. Looking at the two, she smiled when she saw her daughter immediately begin stuffing her face while Naruto politely took a sandwich and ate it at a calm pace. Shaking her head slightly with an amused look, the woman took a sandwich for herself before looking back at the two. "So, how are your days going?" Aiko's mother asked.

Aiko's face lit up at the question. "Well when I woke up, there was a birdie outside my window. When I opened my window, the birdie let me pet it. Then me and the birdie sang together and the birdie told me about it's day. After that, I went outside and played with a few of the squirrels which was a lot of fun. Then I went to watch the fishies swim which was a lot of fun. And then I went to go find Naruto which took a long time but I found him sleeping in the grass. And then we came back home to eat food" the girl said without taking a second to breathe in between sentences.

Both Naruto and Aiko's mother looked at the girl and then at each other with amused looks on their faces before small laughs made their way out of the two. Naruto smiled brightly at the innocence and pure goodness that radiated from Aiko. It was refreshing to get a break from the at times dark nature ninja world. Naruto's smile lessened at the thought of the ninja world. No matter how much he would like to stay here, there were people who needed him and depended on him. He had to get better as quick as possible so that he could leave his place despite his hesitation to do so.

(Later that night)

Naruto sat on the roof of Aiko's house. He stared at the sky as he waited. The moon was almost fully out, just a few more minutes now. Tonight was the night. Tonight was the night that Naruto would regain the power that he had before his fight with Ryuki. Staring at the sky, Naruto watched as the last clouds in the sky moved out of the way of the moon. Immediately, the great light in the night sky shined down on the blonde giving him power unlike any other. His body went into overdrive, all soreness and feeling of injury disappeared, and pure untainted chakra surged through Naruto's body. White light shined around Naruto's figure as the pure chakra enveloped him, giving him strength greater than any he had ever wielded before.

After about a minute, the light around the blonde died down and Naruto was left standing in his black sleeveless shirt and black ANBU pants. Looking up and down his own body, he felt power coursing through his veins. Looking to his side, he noticed something new. On his left shoulder was a tattoo of a crescent moon and three star tattoos outside of the moon. The markings caused Naruto to raise an eyebrow but set it aside for later. Shaking his head slightly, the blonde swordsman held out his hand and focused like he had so many times before. An instant later, a glowing light appeared in his hand that lasted for ten seconds before dying down to reveal something new.

Instead of his usual black and silver curved blade, Naruto now held in his hand a slightly thinner and less curved sword. The blade was white with a gold lining along the blade. A purple moon was placed in the center of where the handle and blade met. The handle itself was golden but with three white stars going down the handle in a straight line. It was a fine blade and for some reason, Naruto felt slightly more powerful with his new sword than his previous one. Taking a few swings, he immediately realized that this sword was lighter and could land quicker blows, but it was big enough to land powerful blows as well. The blonde nodded at his new sword. He was a new Naruto so it was only fitting that he was to wield a new sword.

* * *

(Shinigami's Blade Base)

Tsuranabi was thinking of new strategies to implement when he felt it. An immense wave of power caused him to stop what he was doing and walk to his window. Upon looking outside, he came to the sight of a great light shining from the moon down to the ground. Narrowing his eyes before realizing what the light meant, Tsuranabi smiled a large and sinister smile. His plans were back on its original track. The key to him gaining unlimited power had survived his test and he knew exactly where that key was. Flaring his chakra, Sashira immediately appeared behind him.

The black haired leader of the Shinigami's Blade continued to stare in the direction of the light that had just started to die down. "Sashira" the man addressed the woman without turning around causing the woman to look up. "It seems that our dear Naruto has survived his battle with the dragon summoner. The boy now resides in Paradise. I think that we should pay him a visit, don't you?" the man asked with an amused tone.

Sashira quickly nodded. "I shall get Menma and Narumi" the woman said before turning around and leaving to get the two jinchuriki leaving her leader alone in his office.

"So Naruto, you have returned from the dead, but I wonder if you have finally reached the pinnacle of a swordsman. I suppose we shall see soon enough whether you have matured or if you are still the same child that I last saw in Kiri" the man said evilly chuckling at the end of his comment.

Meanwhile, Sashira walked through the hallways of the base gritting her teeth in anger. 'Soon Sera, I will avenge you my beloved' Sashira silently promised as she clenched her fists at the thought of seeing the blonde that took the woman she loved away from this world.

It wasn't long before the woman came to the kitchen where the two siblings were having a conversation. Making her presence known, Sashira walked into the kitchen and looked at the two jinchuriki. Tsuranabi may be using them to further his own ambitions, but she didn't trust them in the slightest and was secretly waiting for them to slip up. To give her any excuse to kill them. Shaking her head, Sashira looked Menma and Narumi in their eyes. "As it seems, your brother has survived his battle with his previous challenge and now resides in Paradise. Be ready to leave" Sashira said quickly turning around and leaving the two alone to stew in the anger that their hated brother was still alive.

* * *

(Iron Country)

The kages and their guests sat in the meeting room in Iron Country late at night when a massive surge of chakra was felt. A light shined outside of the window in the distance to which each of the kages gravitated towards. Looking at the light in the far distance, it seemed to be coming directly from the moon but in a beam downwards. After a short moment of confusion, each of the Konoha members' eyes widened at the same time and they looked in between one another with excited looks, giant smiles on their faces, and in the case of Kushina and Yakumo, tears in their eyes. The light from the moon all but confirmed the bleak and distant hopes that the Konoha group had previously held. The power felt gave truth to one fact. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze was back.

'MY SON IS ALIVE! MY SON IS ALIVE! MY BOY IS ALIVE!" thought Minato with a smile on his face while in the back of his mind, his thoughts were along the lines of 'We actually have a chance to beat the Shinigami's Blade now'.

Konan had a genuine smile on her face. While she wasn't as emotional as her fellow Konoha ninja, she was ecstatic that Sashira's words proved to be false. 'Well Sis, you sure know how to train em' the blue haired kunoitchi thought with her smile turning into an amused smirk.

Kushina held her hand to her heart. 'My baby, my baby is alive. Oh my sweet baby, I will find you no matter how long it takes and when I do find you, I am gonna smother you in hugs and kisses sweetie, you know' the red headed Uzumaki thought unable to control her verbal tick even in her thoughts as tears slid down her face.

Yakumo however had a mix of extreme happiness and womanly fury on her face. 'When I get my hands on you Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, you will wish that you were never born' thought a demonic voice in her head. 'And then I'm gonna give you the best welcome home present of your life' thought a naughtier voice of her mind causing the girl to blush as tears of happiness fell down her face.

The other kages and their guests looked at the Konoha group with a confused expression on their faces but set it aside for later. It was a late night and they were tired. Whatever was happening could wait until tomorrow morning.

* * *

(Paradise the next day)

Naruto's eyes flickered as he gradually began to wake up. Stretching his arms out and slowly opening his eyes, the blonde was met with the sight of Aiko looking at him from above. Naruto blinked a few times before raising a finger and poking the girl's nose.

Aiko giggled at the action and moved back, allowing Naruto to sit up. "It's about time you woke up lazy head. We get to go into town today!" the girl shouted jumping around the room. The intensity of her voice caused the boy to put his hands to his ears in hopes of lessening the noise. Seeing that the girl was done talking and was just jumping around for fun, Naruto slowly got out of bed and without a word, picked up Aiko. Walking to the doorway, he placed the girl down and shut the door completely missing the pout that formed on the girl's face.

A minute and a half later, Naruto opened the door in his regular clothes to a still pouting Aiko. Rolling his eyes, Naruto ruffled Aiko's hair causing the girl to giggle and hold out her hand which Naruto took. The two walked down the stairs to see Aiko's mother in the living room. The woman looked up as the two made their way downstairs. Smiling, Aiko's mother stood up. "Well look who's finally up" the woman said with a smirk as Aiko giggled beside the boy in question.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry, I guess I was just really tired" the blonde said which got a giggle from Aiko.

"More like really lazy" the little girl corrected getting laughs from her mother and the blonde in question,

As the laughter died down, Aiko's mother stood up straight. "Well, it's good that you are awake. I don't know if Aiko already told you but today we're going into town" she said to which Naruto nodded. "Well good. Maybe we can get some lunch and afterwards get you some new clothes." she said with a smile. Naruto nodded with a smile and Aiko smiled as well.

(Paradise in town twenty minutes later)

Naruto, Aiko, and Aiko's mother sat in a food stand in town. The three sat on stools waiting on their food with Aiko swinging her legs back and forth. Naruto had ordered the same as Aiko and her mother which was the house soup. Naruto looked at Aiko's mother with a perplexed look. "So you don't pay for this or anything here in Paradise?" Naruto asked causing the woman to turn to him and smile.

Aiko's mother chuckled at Naruto's obvious amazement. "No Naruto. Here in Paradise, we take care of one another. We have people who collect certain resources, we have people who make use of the resources like tailors or cooks, and we share our resources among one another. For example, I am a teacher, but I do not charge for teaching others. It is just a service I give to the people of this land. The land around us takes care of us and we make the most of it by sharing the resources evenly. Is that so hard to understand?" the woman asked not seeing the big problem.

Naruto nodded his head. In a world where you must give something in order to receive something, the concept of everyone living in a world where everything is free is nothing more than a fantasy" the blonde said and stopped talking as the food had arrived. The smell of the soup made his mouth water. Dipping his spoon into the bowl, he slowly began to raise the spoon before something stopped him dead in his tracks. A presence that he had not felt since the civil war in Kiri. A presence that made Naruto's face pale and his stomach feel like emptying itself. Focusing on the presence, the blonde looked around quickly before he was able to narrow down the location. Looking in the direction of what he had sensed, his eyes widened as atop a distant hill stood four figures. Each figure with the power of a kage and each figure with a dream of peace through submission.

After a long moment of silence, Naruto was brought out of his trance by a tug on his arm. Looking down, he noticed Aiko with a concerned look on her face. Putting on a weak smile for her, he slowly got up from his stool and looked down at Aiko. "Listen Aiko, I need to take care of something real quick but I will be back soon. In the meantime, I want you to take your mom and go back to the house, okay?" the blonde said now getting Aiko's mother's full attention as well.

Aiko tilted her head in confusion. "What's the matter Naruto? Maybe I can help" the girl suggested excitedly.

Naruto looked at the girl with a sad smile and the sight of Aiko only strengthened his resolve. Looking up at Aiko's mother, he sent a silent message through eye contact. The woman immediately understood that Naruto needed them out of the way for some reason. Standing up from her stool, she took her daughter's hand in her own and smiled. "Come on Aiko, Naruto has to take care of this thing alone. He'll be back soon though and then you two can play all day. Does that sound fun?" the mother asked with an excited tone.

The little girl smiled her signature wide smile and nodded rapidly. "Okay Mommy. Good luck with what you're gonna do Naruto" the little girl said before jumping off of her stool and squeezing her mother's hand. Aiko's mother gave one last look towards Naruto before turning away from him and walking with her skipping daughter home.

The blonde swordsman meanwhile turned around with a determined and angry look on his face. He gave out a slight growl before he shunshined in a water vortex.

(Paradise Hilltop)

Tsuranabi watched as Naruto left the people he was interacting with and only had to wait a few short moments before the blonde swordsman himself appeared in front of the four members of the Shinigami's Blade. The black haired leader smiled a dark smile as he looked the boy over. He was almost there, he had almost reached mastery over his abilities.

Shaking himself out of his inner thoughts, Tsuranabi let his smile grow. "Why hello Naruto, what a surprise seeing you here. I'll say, before your little light show last night, I honestly thought that you were dead" the man said, chuckling the whole time.

Reaching his arm out, Naruto summoned his new sword into his hand which caused Tsuranabi to raise an eyebrow. "Leave now and you will live to see tomorrow" the blonde said gripping his sword tightly and letting his chakra flow freely throughout his body. Lifting his arm, Naruto let his sword rest on his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes when Tsuranabi began to laugh. Meanwhile he saw the evil smiles on his siblings' faces and the angry expression on the woman's face.

"Oh Naruto, even after our little confrontation in Kiri you doubt my power?" the leader asked before a sword appeared in his hand. Tilting his head slightly, Tsuranabi raised his sword. As Naruto started to raise his own in preparation of battle, an unnatural weight came over his body, one that he was unable to hold up. Falling to his knees, Naruto tried breathing as hard as he could but could only get air in short breaths. Naruto tried to force his body to listen to him and rise up, but it was a futile effort. Looking forward, he saw Tsuranabi shaking his head with a disappointed look on his face. "Still so naive and arrogant Naruto. Believing that you can handle every enemy that you come across" he said before looking at the two jinchuriki beside him. "Bind him" Tsuranabi said coldly.

Menma and Narumi walked forward with sinister smiles on their faces. Coming to stand in front of their sibling, Menma raised Naruto's head. "I want to see the pain on your face you pathetic worm" Menma said before looking at his sister and nodding. Taking a breath, both of the Kyubi jinchuriki forced red malevolent chakra chains out of their backs. The chains rose upwards and then quickly flew towards Naruto. They entered the boy's body through his shoulders causing him to scream and exited his chest. They then entered through his chest and exited his back. Next, they went through his tailbone and exited out of his hips. Once again, the chains turned and entered the blonde's knees and exited the back of his legs before tightening up.

The chakra burned Naruto's body causing him to scream out in pain and it took everything in the blonde swordsman not to pass out. Tsuranabi walked to the edge of the hill and faced Paradise. Menma and Narumi walked to stand beside Tsuranabi, dragging their brother along with them. Sashira came to stand beside her leader and look at the town. In immense pain, Naruto still found a way to stay conscious and know what was going on.

Tsuranabi looked down at Paradise. "Naruto, I don't know if you know the true importance of this land. This place, this paradise, is the last perfectly good place on Earth. It is also one of the last obstacles in my way of creating my perfect world. And when I create my perfect world, there will be peace" Tsuranabi said.

"You're an insane and maniacal bastard" Naruto said before a strong sensation of pain coursed through his body and the burns increased in intensity.

The leader of the Shinigami's Blade chuckled at Naruto's continued resistance. "You are resilient, I will give you that. At this point, I know that it is useless trying to explain to you how I will create my perfect world. Your mind is made up. But you will watch as the next step in my plan comes to fruition. The destruction of the last perfectly good place on Earth" the man said with a smile.

Naruto's eyes widened. "No. NO! Please, don't do this. You can have me, just leave this place alone. They won't interfere with your plans, just leave them be. PLEASE" the blonde begged from his position on the ground. He tried to move, but the chains kept him held tight and the intense burning sensation every time he moved discouraged him from trying to get up. But his thoughts of Aiko and her mom made him continue to struggle.

Tsuranabi shook his head. "That is the difference between us young Naruto. I will do whatever it takes to achieve my absolute goal whereas you will compromise your goals if a step seems wrong to you. Now watch as Paradise falls" the black haired swordsman said raising his sword. With the blade pointed at the sky, a black beam shot out from the point of the sword. Afterwards, the black beam flew down from the sky and surrounded the entire town.

(Paradise in town)

Aiko's mother and everyone else in town looked at the black beam that seemed to be coming from the sky. Looking around in confusion like everyone else, a strange feeling started to come over the mother. Out of nowhere, she felt like her energy was draining and it was draining fast. Once again looking around, the woman saw the people around her start to fall down. Losing the energy to stand, she too fell to the ground causing Aiko to rush to her mother's side. The girl quickly fell to her knees with a tired look on her face.

"Mommy, I'm tired" the little girl said as her eyes were growing heavier and heavier by the second.

The mother once again looked around and would have emptied her stomach if she had the energy at what she saw. The people around her were all lying on the ground, but some of the people were not just lying on the ground. One by one, the people's skin started to grow thinner and more wrinkly while their hair lost its color. Seconds later these same people let out haunting moans before their bodies decomposed into nothing but piles of dust. Unable to find the energy to show a physical reaction, the woman turned her sight to her daughter who laid beside her. The girl had a scared look on her face and needed comfort. Finding the last of her energy, the woman smiled at her daughter and whispered "Everything will be okay sweetie."

Aiko looked at her mother and smiled. Her mother said that everything would be alright so everything was going to be alright. Her smile however quickly turned to a look of fear as her mother's appearance began to change. First, the woman's beautiful black hair lost its color, then her skin stated to lose its color and texture, and eventually the moans began. Aiko held even tighter to her mother's hand but eventually the hand became so weak that it crumbled in Aiko's hand. The little girl tried to scream but didn't have the energy to do so. She watched as her mother turned from the beautiful woman she used to be into nothing but a pile of dust. It was too much for Aiko and eventually the girl passed out from exhaustion.

(Paradise Hilltop)

Naruto felt it. One by one, he felt the people dying until he could feel no more life forces left in Paradise. The Shinigami's Blade members chuckled at the fall of Paradise, but something in Naruto broke. Looking up to the sky, Naruto let out an primal scream of anger. The scream caused the Shinigami's Blade members to turn and look at Naruto only to see a dark shadowy substance enveloping the blonde. The sky that held a beautiful shining sun immediately went black. An eternal darkness blanketed the once peaceful land.

The swordsman slowly stood up, the chakra chains that once impaled his body quickly falling out. His siblings rushed forward to attack, but just before they could land a hit with their sword, both of their bodies were separated at the midsection. Split in two, Menma and Narumi lied on the ground not responding to anything around them. The shadow covered Naruto turned his sight towards Sashira and dashed her way. A millisecond before he slashed the woman in half with his shadowy sword, Tsuranabi appeared beside his fellow swordsman and blocked Naruto's attack. The man frowned as the swipe caused Tsuranabi's arm to buckle slightly.

Tsuranabi moved his left hand to help out his right and hold his sword up. "Sashira, get Menma and Narumi and take them to the base now" the leader ordered. Pushing with actual effort, Tsuranabi managed to moved Naruto's sword up a little. Looking at the boy in front of him, he saw a boy who's eyes had no soul, no emotion left in them.

Sashira quickly got out of the way and collected Menma and Narumi's bodies which had just started to come back together. The three vanished in a distortion, returning to their base.

Naruto paid no attention to the other three members and instead focused on Tsuranabi. Naruto pushed hard, knocking the leader back and quickly swiped his sword. Tsuranabi dodged the strike just in time, but he didn't anticipate Naruto striking again so quickly. With a quick stab, Naruto landed a shot on the side of Tsuranabi's cheek. The black haired swordsman jumped backwards and placed a hand to his cheek. He couldn't believe it. The boy had landed a hit. Tsuranabi didn't have much more time to think about his wound as Naruto immediately came at the man.

Naruto swung his sword heavily but quickly, breaking Tsuranabi's guard time after time.

On the defensive, Tsuranabi was starting to feel the fatigue from his attack that wiped out Paradise. With over half of his remaining strength, he swung his sword and sent Naruto flying backwards. Just as Naruto started to get up and begin attacking again, the leader of the Shinigami's Blade disappeared in the Shinigami's Blade's signature distortion.

Standing up, Naruto looked around and upon seeing that the Shinigami's Blade was gone, the darkness that covered him receded. Once the darkness vanished and Naruto came to his senses, the blonde fell to his knees. Immediately the tears started to flow out of his eyes. The boy clenched his fists so hard that his hands began to bleed. His tears eventually turned to sobs as he thought of Aiko and her mother. So many people were dead and they had done noting to deserve such a fate. Naruto gritted his teeth and looked to the sky. "I swear to you people of Paradise, I will not let your deaths be in vain. I will make this right" the boy said before looking back to the ground and letting the tears fall.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I hope that you liked this chapter. I'm sorry that it took so long, but work and school have been kind of heating up so I haven't had as much time to write. I've got a good idea of where I'm going with my next chapter and once again I hope that you all are liking the story. I also want to thank everyone for the reviews and encourage more reviews as it helps me make my story better.


	41. The Konoha Uprising Part 1

PinkiePieParty122894: Yeah, the destruction of Paradise was pretty rough on Naruto. We'll see how it affects him moving forward.

zero fullbuster: Glad that you liked the last chapter and I really hope that you like this one.

DxGRAYxMAN: Normally the bitch slap that Menma and Narumi took would kill them, but with their biju weapon, they have become far more powerful than I've let on and their healing factor is to the point where not even beheading them will kill them.

UnsanMusho: Naruto will definitely need someone to help him through the pain of his failure. Who will it be, who knows? :)

1995hzq: Sorry to disappoint, but Naruto still isn't quite ready for Tsuranabi just yet so no fight between Naruto and the Shinigami's Blade this chapter.

Animaman: I know that it was cruel and I hated doing it, but it had to be something big to push Naruto over the edge. As for Aiko, I have plans for her role going forward. Explaining the destruction of Paradise will probably be done in (spoiler alert) Tsuranabi's chapter that focuses on him. i can't say much about any type of Danzo Jiraiya conversation, but I can say that Naruto is going to need someone to help him through his feelings and what could be better than a mother's love.

deamon death: Dang, all forty chapters in two days? Color me impressed. I'm glad that you are liking the story and I hope that you like the new chapter.

NazgulBelserion: I feel like a lot of times its because Naruto has something to prove. He has always wanted to prove people wrong, (becoming Hokage) and that is the best explanation that I can give you for why he comes back.

thor94: Yeah, it sucks what happened to Paradise and I have to admit that I felt satisfaction when I wrote the part about cutting the twins in half. As for that berserk mode, he will be getting something a lot more powerful soon and that is what he will master.

GalenTheEternal: Wish I could give you info about your comment but I can't sorry.

Shanks 1: First of all, thank you for the compliment on my writing skills, I really appreciate it. As for flashbacks, for the moment I've only got the twins and Tsuranabi's flashbacks scheduled with small ones from Tsunade, Jiraiya, maybe Kakashi. I'm still thinking of who else. As for adopting other fanfics, I will definitely consider it but it may take some time as "The Lunar Swordsman" is my primary focus at the moment.

LionFist56: Glad that you love the story and things are going okay in class. Naruto's berserk form I would say is a mix between the Saix berserker and Sora's anti form.

* * *

(Konoha Hospital)

Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, member of the Sanin, sat in his hospital bed a broken man. Pain killers coursed through his body but it did nothing to alleviate his pain. His body was useless, nothing more than that of a decrepit old man. His eyes held no hope for a better tomorrow. His heart ached with a pain unlike any other every second as he thought about his actions. Everything that he had done since the birth of his godchildren had created utter chaos within the ninja world. His ambition was to bring peace to the world, and instead, he brought the opposite.

He had ruined the lives of three children that he loved and swore to protect the day they were born. He gave everything he had and more to Menma and Narumi, and it created the birth of two monsters. He ignored his eldest godson, and now he would never be a part of the boy's life if he was even still alive. The student who he loved like a son refused to even visit him in the hospital unless for the need of information and the fiery red headed woman that he had watched his student fall in love with wanted nothing to do with him.

Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, was alone.

Tsunade walked into her teammate's room to be granted the same sight that she had seen everyday since her perverted friend had arrived. Jiraiya was in pain despite her best efforts to make him feel better. His body had given up and his mentality was gone as well. He was unable to bathe himself so she was worried about his perverted tendencies now that he would have sponge baths from the female nurses. To her surprise and concern, the man didn't react at all. He just kept the same blank and broken expression without saying a word. It broke her heart seeing the man who she had once loved in such a state.

With a sigh, the blonde haired medic approached her teammate. "Alright Jiraiya, care to tell me how you're feeling today?" she asked in a gentle tone that she rarely ever used. It had become a normal tone however for speaking to Jiraiya lately. Getting no answer from the man who continued to stare out his window with a sad look on his face, Tsunade let out another sigh. "You know Jiraiya, Orochimaru is going to be coming by later today and I thought that the three of us could have dinner together like old times. Doesn't that sound good? Hell, I could tell Orochimaru to get lost and we could have that date you always wanted" the woman said with a smirk.

Jiraiya kept the same expression on his face as he stared out the window. "Tsunade, you shouldn't worry yourself with me and neither should Orochimaru. I don't deserve your concern. Just leave me as I am. A crippled, alone, old man. Just let me die so that I am no longer a burden upon anyone else" the man said in a dead tone.

The mouth of Tsunade dropped at his words. She stood beside him and tried to think of words to say, but none would come out. Trying her best to come up with anything to say, she never noticed the tear that fell down her eye. Turning around, the slug summoner exited the room in order to see to her other patients. She had been quite busy today due to a number of her nurses calling in and telling her that they would be unable to work.

* * *

(Hokage's Office)

Itachi stood in his temporary office staring at the village below. Needing a break from the paperwork, the young man had stepped away from the Hokage desk in order to clear his mind but was met with an odd sight. The streets of Konoha seemed almost empty. There were a few vendors out and just a handful of regular civilians and ninja walking, but the normally busy village was now almost silent. Narrowing his eyes, Itachi flared his chakra calling two of his ANBU to his side immediately. Without letting his vision wander from his empty village, Itachi spoke. "Cat, Boar, the village is a bit too quiet for my liking. Go into town and investigate. Something is going on and I want to know what as soon as possible" the temporary Hokage ordered.

Behind him, Cat and Boar nodded before disappearing from his office immediately. Taking a breath, Itachi started to concentrate. Whatever was happening was not due to just a lull in Konoha right now. No, something was happening and he needed to know what. Before another thought could cross his mind, footsteps sounded from just outside of the open door to the Hokage's Office. Turning around quickly, he was met with the sight of an individual that made him instantly be on guard. Danzo Shimura.

"Danzo, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked subtly reaching for a hidden kunai. He watched as two ninja dressed in ANBU clothing with the symbol for Root carved on to their headbands followed in after the elderly man. Itachi activated his sharingan as Danzo smiled a sinister smile.

The elder smiled at the acting Hokage who stood with his greatest weapon activated. "Hello Uchiha. Allow me to preference what I must say by starting out with the fact that I am nothing more than a shadow clone so killing me will do nothing. Now, what I am doing here is simple. I am saving Konoha" the shadow clone said as he began to walk forward but stopped when Itachi unsheathed a kunai and his ANBU tanto. "Konoha is the strongest village in the elemental nations and yet what do we do with that fact? We simply sit on it instead of what we should be doing which is showing the world our strength. Konoha can rule this world, but only if it has the right leader. That is why the current regime must end and from its' ashes, a new regime will rise. I will bring Konoha the glory it deserves, something neither you nor that bumbling fool Minato could ever have the will or the stomach to do" the elder said slamming his cane on the floor.

Itachi growled at Danzo's words and gripped his tanto tighter. "Whatever you think is right, you're wrong. You made a mistake telling me this Danzo because now I'm coming after you" the Uchiha growled out. His look of determination however quickly turned into one of confusion as the Danzo shadow clone began to laugh.

"You believe so dear Itachi. Unfortunately for you, by now my forces have gathered and are about to strike and gain control over Konoha. And without you to lead the shinobi, Konoha's ninja forces will stand no chance against the alliance that I have created. Konoha will be mine and it will become greater than its' days under the First Hokage himself. Goodbye Itachi, for this is the end for you" the clone said with a smile before popping out of existence. With the disappearance of their leader, the two ROOT ninja stepped forward making Itachi ready himself for an attack.

Just as the Uchiha prepared for any incoming attack, the two ROOT ninja stopped their advances and both made a single handsign. Seals immediately appeared along both of the ROOT ninjas' bodies making Itachi's eyes go wide. A second later, an explosion activated by multiple exploding tags that were planted along the ninjas' bodies filled the office of the Hokage causing the entire top level of the Hokage Tower to crumble and a pillar of smoke to form upwards.

* * *

(Uchiha Compound)

Sasuke stood outside in his backyard practicing his kunai and shuriken throwing. He had just landed a kunai in the head of a dummy when a loud explosion sounded through the village. Immediately looking up, he saw a tower of smoke in the distance. Using chakra, the chunin jumped atop his house's roof to get a better view of what was going on and his eyes widened at the sight that he was met with. The Hokage Tower was on fire and it seemed that the entirety of the top had been destroyed. Not knowing what was going on or if his brother was okay, Sasuke prepared to make his way towards the tower.

As the boy was just about to jump off of his house, he felt multiple presences nearby and jumped to the side just in time to avoid a number of shuriken. Turning around quickly and activating his sharingan, he was confused to see five of his fellow clansmen land in front of him. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed that each of his clansmen had their sharingan activated as well which led to questions of their intentions. Thinking of multiple scenarios in his head, Sasuke addressed the newcomers in order to buy time.

"What are you doing? We have to go to the Hokage Tower to make sure Itachi is alright!" Sasuke shouted causing the five Uchiha to chuckle. Each of the Uchiha had the signature Uchiha features and each wore ANBU battle armor. One of the Uchiha stepped forward as his fellow clansmen pulled out a tanto from their sheathes.

"Sasuke Uchiha, under the orders of the new Hokage Danzo Shimura, and the Uchiha clan head Fugaku Uchiha, you have been sentenced to death. The new Konoha will be strong and you will only impede on the progress of not only the village, but the clan as well. We must make sure that the world knows that the Uchiha Clan is the most powerful clan in the world, and this is the first step" the Uchiha clansman said as he pulled out his own tanto.

Sasuke looked at the group almost dumbfounded. "You are all fools! All this proves is that you are all traitors to Konoha and that your arrogance knows no bounds. Just because we have a gift unlike other clans does not make us better than them. No clan is above another, not even the Uchiha!" yelled out the boy subconsciously voicing the thoughts of the Madara Uchiha that spoke to him. Sasuke took a step forward and stood tall in the face of his fellow clansmen. "That being said, you truly believe that you will defeat me? You are welcome to try, however people far stronger than you have tried" Sasuke said before activating his storage seal. His spear immediately appeared in his grasp and lightning began to crackle around it.

The Uchiha members looked at each other before three of them charged forwards with sword in hand, one left, one down the middle, and one right. Two stayed back and shouted "Great Fireball Jutsu" sending large fireballs flying towards Sasuke. The chunin smirked before he dashed straight to the middle Uchiha and threw his spear. The middle Uchiha prepared to raise his sword in order to block the incoming weapon, but it vanished out of existence before he could and then he felt a sharp pain his chest. Stopping his movement and falling to the ground, his last thoughts were 'How?' Death by spear had occurred because when Sasuke threw the spear, it used built up chakra to speed up and become invisible to even the sharingan. It had sped right into the man's chest not giving him a chance to defend himself.

Without missing a beat, Sasuke jumped up just in time to avoid the incoming fireballs. Hanging in the air, Sasuke performed a series of lightning quick handsigns before shouting "SOLAR DESTRUCTION", sending a massive golden ball of fire down upon his fellow clansmen. The two Uchiha below were paralyzed in shock and fear as the miniature sun flew towards them. The great ball of fire made impact, but it kept going through the roof and down into the house. Once the giant fireball reached the ground, it exploded in a massive blast that incinerated everything in its near vicinity. As the explosion started to expand, a purple chakra guardian rose above the blast and covered it up absorbing the attack.

A minute passed before the blast was completely finished. Once the explosion and aftershock that would follow suit had died in the arms of the purple being, the guardian began to fade out of existence. Nearby, Sasuke looked at his destroyed home while slightly panting on one knee. His Mangekyo Sharingan activated, the boy looked at the burnt remains of his house while clenching his fists in anger. Slowly standing, the chunin prepared to proceed to the Hokage Tower when he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Sasuke" the voice spoke causing Sasuke to quickly turn around, spear appearing in his hand. When he saw the source of the voice, the boy almost dropped his spear. Standing with his arms crossed was his father, Fugaku Uchiha. The man was giving his son a serious stare with his sharingan activated. But Fugaku's sharingan was not in the normal form of a tomoed sharingan. Instead it had its very own unique design that made Sasuke's gut fill with dread. 'Mangekyo' thought the boy. Shaking his head to concentrate, the younger Uchiha glared at his father and let out a short growl. "Father, what is the meaning of this? You sent clan members to kill me? Why?!" shouted the boy gripping his spear tightly.

Fugaku uncrossed his arms and took a small breath. "Sasuke, it is time for the Uchiha clan to establish its dominance and claim our rightful spot as the leaders of Konoha. No matter how much I didn't want to kill Itachi or have to kill you, I must do what is best for the clan" the man said in a cold tone causing Sasuke to flare his chakra in anger.

"You really think that the Uchiha clan alone will be able to take all of Konoha. You truly are a fool" Sasuke shouted raising his spear and preparing for battle.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes at Sasuke before getting into the Uchiha Interceptor stance. "Watch what you insinuate boy. Do not think that I am as naive as some of our other clansmen who are foolish enough to believe that only an Uchiha can kill an Uchiha. I know that we couldn't do this alone which is why I have received help in my ambition. As we speak, my allies are invading the village, restraining and cutting down the numbers of every clan in Konoha. By the end of today, the streets of Konoha will run red with blood, but we, the Uchiha clan will stand tall and rule over this land like we should have been for so long" the father finished.

Sasuke was in shock at what he had just heard come out of his father's mouth. This horrid plan that would bring about a massive loss of life and shame and disgrace upon the Uchiha clan. Summoning his chakra, a blaze of purple chakra started to cover his body. "You are insane. I will stop you and I will stop the rest of the clan. As long as I breathe, you will not succeed. This I swear on my life and the lives of my ancestors. Fugaku Uchiha, today you die" Sasuke said. At the end of his speech, both Uchiha rushed at one another with the intent to kill.

* * *

(Hyuga Compound)

Hiashi had been sitting with his wife and two girls outside but within the confines of the Hyuga compound when the explosion sounded. Immediately all chatter among his family stopped as the man quickly stood up. Looking up, the Hyuga head saw a pillar of smoke coming from the center of the village. The smoke was rising from what seemed to be the Hokage Tower. His wife and children immediately rushed to the man's side with fear being the common feeling shared among the wife and daughters. Hiashi activated his Byakugan and prepared to take off for the tower when he sensed something approaching. The man's eyes widened for a second before he pushed the females down and began to spin in the Hyuga's signature rotation.

Around fifty shuriken and kunai bounced off of the chakra dome, each one falling to the ground. After the barrage of weapons stopped, Hiashi slowly stopped spinning and got into his Gentle Fist stance while the females shakily stood up behind Hiashi. The pale eyed man watched as ten Hyuga clansmen stepped out into the open. Gritting his teeth, Hiashi quickly recognized them all as high level Hyuga. Each one held a smug smirk on their face that caused Hiashi's wife and daughters to shake in fear. Hiashi narrowed his eyes.

"Hiashi Hyuga, your time as head of the Hyuga Clan has come to an end. By order of the clan elders and the new Hokage Danzo Shimura, you and your family are to die" the leading Hyuga said as the nine others got into their Gentle Fist stances.

Hiashi watched the ten of them, not once falling out of his stance. "You will not lay a hand on my family, but you will die today for treason. Girls, stay behind me. I'll take care of everything" Hiashi said in a tone that made his family feel a little bit safer. After he assured his family, the ten Hyuga members rushed forward ready to kill the clan head and his family. The first Hyuga leapt forward thrusting his palm with a large amount of chakra. Hiashi simply brushed the strike to the side and sent a palm thrust of his own to the fellow clan member's heart that sent him flying backwards. Two members came from behind but Hiashi turned around quickly and sent palm thrusts at each of their hearts killing them instantly.

The other seven slowed down and grouped together before attacking Hiashi all at once. Preparing to land strikes on Hiashi and his family, they were caught by surprise when the man began a quick rotation. The group made impact with the dome, but instead of being sent flying backwards like normal, they each stayed where they were taking more and more of the impact of the Rotation. What no one could see was that while spinning, Hiashi was sending them flying but grabbing them before they could actually be blasted away. He would then bring them back to their original spot to face more of his attack. All of this was happening in less than a second.

As the rotation continued to spin, more and more strikes hit the faces and chests of the attackers until the attacks started to cave in the men's chests and faces beyond recognition. Hiashi suddenly stopped his attack on a dime which sent the now unrecognizable and very much dead Hyuga members backwards, each one landing on the ground harshly in a heap of flesh. Getting out of his stance, Hiashi started to try and control his breathing as he was on the verge of panting. Before he could start however, he was almost tackled from behind as his wife held onto the man. The sound of womanly tears and the feeling of a shaking figure holding onto him caused the man to soften. Hiashi grabbed his wife's arms and unwrapped them from him before turning around and pulling her into him. While his wife cried into his chest, he looked at his two daughters who also had tears in their eyes. Hiashi gave a quick nod and Hinata and Hanabi rushed over and grabbed onto Hiashi much like their mother.

Hiashi held onto his family, trying to convey that everything would be fine with his hug. The family moment came to an end however when the sound of clapping interrupted the peaceful silence. Releasing his family and getting on guard quickly, Hiashi turned around to see the Hyuga elders standing at a fair distance with evil smirks on their faces. Scowling, Hiashi stood tall and gave off a menacing glare. "How dare you old fools think that you can attack my family and think that you will live on" the Hyuga head growled. The elders only chuckled in amusement.

An elder stepped forward and examined the small family ahead before speaking. "It is time for change Hiashi. Once you are gone, the Hyuga will be able to gain even more prestige and lead the new Hidden Leaf Village to a golden age of prosperity and power. Eventually we will be known by all to be the most powerful clan in the elemental nations. But do not despair at your imminent demise, for you and your family's deaths shall be the catalyst for our rise to power" the elder said before snapping.

Following the loud snap of the old Hyuga elder, a large amount of what looked to be over forty ninja, each with headbands marked ROOT, appeared on the roofs of the surrounding compound buildings. Hiashi looked around in slight fear at the mass of numbers. He was rusty, that much he had known after finishing his fellow clansmen. He didn't think he could take on ten more elite ninja much less over forty. Taking a look at the elders, he noticed that they were no longer there. Cursing in his head, Hiashi activated his byakugan again as all of the ninja jumped down and landed around him and his family. Taking a small glance backwards, he was met with the sight of his wife and daughters crying and shaking infear even worse than before. The man looked at his girls and his wife for a long time, trying his best to memorize them.

Letting out a deep breath, Hiashi lowered himself into a stance that looked similiar to the Gentle Fist but was a tad different. Instead of having one arm back, he had both arms forward and one leg back ready to kick off. Looking up, Hiashi Hyuuga had a look of pure determination on his face. Without turning his head, Hiashi spoke to the most important people in his life. "Hinata, Hanabi, you both have made me the proudest father one could be. Each of you are destined for great things and I know that you will achieve all of your dreams. Hitomi, you are an angel and you deserved better than a stuck up man like me. You made me the happiest man alive and I cherished the love that we had every single day. I love all of you" the man said leaving his family sobbing and confused.

Before his family could respond to his words, Hiashi dashed forwards and shouted "Hyuga Forbidden Trigram: 10,000 Palms". Hiashi sent a thrust forward that didn't make immediate contact with anything, but it sent a blast of chakra forward that collided with a ROOT member and killed him instantly. The other ROOT members took this as cue to attack. As they each attacked, some with taijutsu, some with weapons, and some with ninjutsu, Hiashi continued to dash forward. As he ran, he began to pick up speed and reached the small army of ROOT ninja quickly. Jumping up, the man sent a palm thrust forward which killed five ROOT ninja below. Quickly landing in the small pile of bodies that he had created, he began to land fast strikes on all of the ninja around him. The ROOT ninja tried to attack the man, but he dodged and then would land twenty palms strikes in two seconds. He would kill one ninja and then begin more palm thrusts killing separate men with separate palms.

As attacks continued to come after Hiashi, he continued to dodge while striking forwards, backwards, to the side and above. Two ROOT ninja suddenly broke from the crowd jumping up and sending a fireball and a stream of water at the clan head. Hiashi simply thrust his palms upwards without looking and reflected the attacks back at the attackers causing them to fall to the ground hard. Hiashi continued to block attacks with his hands before looking down and thrusting his hand onto the ground. The thrust sent him flying into the air where the man was able to see the swarm of ROOT ninja below. Without a moment's hesitation, the Hyuga clan head did a flip and started to spiral downwards headfirst. Falling into the swarm, Hiashi performed a rotation in midair sending chakra thrusts in every direction, killing a multitude of ROOT ninja.

Landing on his feet in a now exhausted state and breathing heavily, Hiashi looked at the group who was standing still. A second later, all but one of the ROOT ninja fell backwards, dead before they hit the ground. The last ROOT ninja looked at the panting clan head in silence before unsheathing a ninjato. Raising it in his hands, the ROOT ninja charged intending on finishing his master's orders and ending the clan head and his family's lives. Reaching Hiashi who was still panting, the ROOT ninja sent his sword forward to kill the man. As the blade neared Hiashi, the man stopped panting and sent both hands forward shattering the ninjato and killing the man with a chakra thrust.

Shakily standing up, Hiashi looked around. His yard was covered with well over fifty dead bodies. A shame, he really prided himself on having a clean lawn. Slowly turning around, Hiashi looked upon his family who was now looking at him with admiration. The sight brought a smile to Hiashi's face before the man fell backwards, dying with a peaceful expression on his face. The man's death caused by the complete expulsion of all of his chakra, it was inevitable. Hitomi, Hinata, and Hanabi appeared by his side immediately each with tears in their eyes.

"Hiashi, Hiashi wake up" Hitomi said in a soft yet panicked voice as she rubbed his forehead and caressed his cheek. "Hiashi, you're scaring me. I need you to wake up love, please. Please Hiashi, I need you. Don't leave me, please don't leave me Hiashi" Hitomi said, her voice rising with each word as she began to violently shake. Tears flowed from her eyes without any stoppage in sight. Hinata and Hanabi each kneeled beside their non moving father and started to shake him softly. "Father, wake up. Wake up father, you did it. You beat them, now you have to wake up" spoke Hinata while Hanabi buried her head in her father's chest.

The pleading lasted for five minutes before reality hit the Hyuga family with the most painful of punches. Hiashi Hyuga was dead.

Hitomi, Hinata, and Hanabi each held onto the man as they wept for their loss. Cries, sobs, and moans sounded from the Hyugas as they gripped the man tightly. This was the sad sight that Neji came to as he entered the compound yard in a rush. At the sight of his uncle lying dead in the arms of his family, the ever stoic Neji Hyuga began to cry.

* * *

(Hokage Tower Remains)

The rubble and remains of the Hokage Tower was covered in a cloud of smoke. What was once a symbol of Konoha was now no more. In the center of the tower's remains, a pile of burnt wood and ash started to sake and move. After a few seconds, a figure rose from the ashes of the Hokage Tower. That figure was Itachi Uchiha and he was furious. Covered in ash and soot, his once light skin was now burnt and dark from the ash. A few cuts from which blood was flowing covered his face and small parts of the ends of his hair were burnt off. Activating his sharingan, Itachi closed his eyes and sensed for the biggest current threat to Konoha. Thirty seconds later, Itachi's eyes flew open. He had his target.

Danzo Shimura.

Jumping onto the roof of a nearby building, Itachi sped towards the ruins of the Hokage Monument.

* * *

(Hospital)

Tsunade was back in Jiraiya's room when she heard the explosion. Looking out the window, her face took on a look of horror as the Hokage Tower came down. Just as the Sannin was about to jump out the window and investigate, she sensed multiple chakra signatures approaching. Walking forward, she took a stand in front of Jiraiya's hospital bed ready to protect him with her life. What she didn't know was that Jiraiya had started to slowly wake up. As the older man awoke behind his former teammate, the Toad Sannin was about to ask why Tsunade looked like she was about to get in a fight. Before Jiraiya could say a word, the hospital door burst open revealing a group of ninja dressed in ANBU equipment but with a headband that said ROOT.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As you probably guessed, this is not the only part of the Konoha uprising. I'm really sorry that it has taken so long for me to update but like I've stated before, college is a bitch. Also, while no one has said anything, I know what everyone is thinking. "The updates are coming out slower and slower. It will probably be abandoned." I want to emphasize that I am NOT going to abandon this story. I've been writing "The Lunar Swordsman" for almost two years now and I don't plan on stopping until the end. I've invested a lot of time into this as well as you all have. I won't abandon it out of respect for those who are fans of the story, and I won't abandon it because it's too much fun writing it. You guys make it all worth while when I read your reviews and I want to make sure that you all realize how much I appreciate them. So don't worry about this story being abandoned. Anyways, hope that you liked the chapter and I will see you next time.


	42. The Konoha Uprising Part 2

PinkiePieParty122894: I'm glad that you liked the last chapter and I hope that you like this one :)

Luis Mont: I like that you're enjoying it and hope you continue to like it.

Animaman: Yeah Danzo would have no problem with the two clans eliminating each other. As for Naruto facing any ROOT, that's actually kind of a spoiler so I can't tell you that just yet. I also can't say whether Minato will fight ROOT or not, but you'll find out soon.

Stephane Klein: Had to translate your words online, but don't worry I'm not planning on giving up. I'm way too invested as are all of you and giving up on this story would be disrespect not only to myself but to all of you as well.

JaguarSupreme2: I get that Sasuke and Shion is not a typical pairing, but I've tried to shape Sasuke in a way so he's a lot different from the anime and manga. I also thought that the pairing would be a fun one because there really aren't that many for the two. The more time they spend together, the more you'll like the pairing (at least I hope).

thor94: Umm, have you been spying on me? Haha, no but those ideas had crossed my mind multiple times. I can't say that they will come to fruition, but I will say that ... Nah, I'll let you figure it out :)

TheHiddenLettuce: Oh I plan on the pairing of Naruto/Yakumo to continue as long as possible. By the way, love the name.

Yozakura Quartet: I'm sorry that you fee it is boring. I know that in the beginning, it was kind of rough. But I think that it gets more interesting the longer that you read on.

Shanks 1: I picked Naruto and Yakumo because I wanted the pairings to be unique. I wanted the story to be unique. That's why I chose pairings such as Itachi/Konan and Sasuke/Shion. I liked the idea and I liked the uniqueness of it all.

lara5170: To start it off, Naruto's sword is arguably the most powerful weapon in the world and he learned from arguably the greatest swordsman in the world at the time. I plan to go more into his time with Sera in future chapters to kind of clear up some things. Yakumo is helped out by Ido kind of, but Naruto and Itachi have developed her quickly. Itachi is a good sensei. Minato knew he was walking on thin ice with his son therefore he didn't directly question Naruto for fear of driving him away again. Hope that answered some of your questions.

LionFist56: Thank you for the compliment on my writing. I really appreciate it. As for the futures of clans and Konoha, there will definitely be changes in the aftermath of everything. In terms of sadness, I will say that there is a time and a place for Sasuke to truly express it, whether its this chapter or another.

* * *

(Streets of Konoha)

Sakura had been walking to Ino's flower shop to hang out with her friend when the explosion in the Hokage Tower occurred. Immediately adapting her battlefield mentality, she prepared to go to the site of the explosion but was taken by surprise when twelve men dressed as simple mercenaries dropped down in front of her. Each man had dirty smiles on their faces as they examined the pink haired kunoitchi. Sakura narrowed her eyes at their stares and raised her fists. "Hey creeps, you better get out of my way unless you're ready to take a pounding" the pink haired girl shouted.

The men chuckled. One of the mercenaries spoke after the chuckles ended. "Trust me girl, the only one who will be taking a pounding today is you" the man said with a dirty smile that caused his fellow mercenaries to resume chuckling and a look of pure disgust and mild fear to appear on Sakura's face. Taking a step forward, he took out a large amount of rope out of a large pouch on his body. The other men stepped forward as well, some taking out weapons and others cracking their knuckles. "We can rough her up boys, but not too much. After all, it's no fun if we can't hear em scream" the mercenary announced to his comrades.

Sakura clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Despite the fear she was feeling at the moment, she was prepared to fight. She had never killed anyone before, but her ninja instincts were telling her that she might have to take her first life today. She knew it would come sooner or later and knew that she couldn't hesitate, Tsunade and Yakumo had made sure to emphasize this. Taking a breath, she dashed forward before any of the mercenaries could take another step and landed a chakra powered punch to the man that had been talking. The man was sent flying backwards until he collided with the wall of a nearby building. Turning around, she raised her fists again and glared at the mercenaries. "Who's next?" the pink haired kunoitchi asked as she prepared to fight.

* * *

(Konoha Hospital)

A pile of dead bodies filled the room of Jiraiya. Tsunade stood guard over Jiraiya, panting and covered in blood. One of the walls of the room was completely gone and under the rubble of it were three dead ROOT ninja. About twenty dead ROOT ninja filled the room and fifteen filled the halls. Despite the losses that the ROOT ninja were taking, they just kept coming and it was starting to take its toll on Tsunade. She had tried to summon, but would be interrupted by another ROOT ninja every time she tried. At the moment, she was taking on three ROOT ninja, making sure to protect Jiraiya.

Landing a super powered punch, Tsunade killed a ROOT ninja leaving two left for the moment. Before she could take another action, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Quickly turning around, she grabbed both of the ROOT ninja and slammed their heads together, essentially popping them like balloons due to the force of the impact. Breathing a little heavier but thanking Kami for the slight reprieve, she stood up tired. Reaching back, she felt for the cause of her pain and her hand reached a kunai embedded in her shoulder. Without any flinch or hesitation, the woman pulled the kunai and dropped it to the ground.

Jiraiya watched as his former teammate fought her hardest to protect him. He watched as she killed every ninja that came through the door, and they weren't low level ninja. These ROOT ninja were elite jounin level, each one at least ANBU captain level. He saw his teammate and knew that she was tired. Despite the Sannin being legendary ninja, they were still human. It killed him that he couldn't help. That he was stuck in this bed unable to assist the woman he loved. A few tears had started to fall but with great effort to move his arm, he wiped them away immediately. With a sigh, he got his teammate's attention. "Tsunade" he beckoned getting the woman to turn and look at him. "It's time for you to get out of here and save yourself" he said making Tsunade's eyes widen and then adopt a look of anger.

"You idiot, if I leave then they will kill you. Now if you're done with the dumb suggestions-", "ENOUGH!" interrupted Jiraiya with a shout making Tsunade's eyes widen once again as the former Toad Sage now had tears flowing from his eyes. "Tsunade, I have caused enough pain in this world. I have destroyed a family, I have turned two kids who I loved as my own grandchildren evil. I have alienated my oldest grandson and made his life a living hell. I won't be the cause of your death. I'm not worth it, so please, just leave" the man said begging the woman he loved to go.

Tsunade's eyes started to slightly fill with tears before she turned back towards the door. More ROOT ninja were on their way. "There is always time for redemption Jiraiya. Once you get out of the hospital and all of this is over, you will get your chance to make things right. So shut it about letting you die because you're not getting off the hook that easily" the woman said as a tear fell and she readied for battle. The Slug Sannin didn't have to wait long as ROOT ninja in a force of seven started to pour in, each with weapons ready. The first ROOT ninja in threw a handful of shuriken, each of which Tsunade caught and threw back landing them in the ninja's head. The second one came after her with a kunai charging fast. Tsunade stepped to the side and dodged the ROOT ninja's strike, grabbed his kunai hand, took the kunai, and stabbed the ninja in his temple killing him.

By now the other ROOT ninja had made it into the room, each one standing on a dead comrade as the relatively large hospital room was littered with dead bodies. Turning with a growl, Tsunade jumped at one of the ROOT ninja and grabbed his face. She took him and slammed his head into the wall creating a large hole and killing the man. Two of the ROOT ninja attacked Tsunade while her back was turned. She simply thrust both of her elbows backwards sending the ninja flying out of the hospital window where they fell to their deaths. Turning around, she caught the blade of a sword swung by a ROOT ninja just in time. The blade caused her hand to start bleeding, but she held onto the blade. While she was preoccupied with the sword, another ROOT ninja drop kicked her in her stomach knocking the air out of her and sending her back against the wall. The ROOT ninja capitalized on her vulnerable position by slamming his fist into Tsunade's face, then another, and another. He kept punching until, Tsunade finally came back to her senses and grabbed the ninja's hand before he could hit her again. With a growl, she held onto his fist and ran forward slamming him into the wall that held the broken window. After the man hit the wall, Tsunade quickly released him and sent a punch to his chest. The punch was thrown with such force that it went through his chest and out his back killing him.

Tsunade stayed with her fist through the ROOT ninja's chest panting heavily as she tried to breathe right. Pulling her fist out, she slowly turned around only to see the last ROOT ninja that had his sword ready to kill her. She watched him come after her and everything seemed to go in slow motion. She was too tired to defend herself and prepared to die, but a figure appeared in front of her as the ROOT ninja stabbed forward taking the attack. For a second, Tsunade was confused, but then she recognized the figure that took the strike for her. Tsunade looked in horror as her teammate was impaled by the ROOT ninja's sword. Without a second thought, she rushed forward and punched the ROOT ninja in the head splattering it.

The sound of something hitting the ground caused Tsunade to immediately turn around. She dropped to the floor and picked up the fallen Jiraiya placing him in her lap. Looking at the wound, she removed the sword and started the Mystical Palm Technique. Her jutsu was interrupted however when Jiraiya raised his hand and grabbed hers. The man looked at Tsunade with a smile and slightly shook his head causing the tears to flow from Tsunade's eyes. "You idiot, why? Why would you do something so stupid?" the woman asked.

Jiraiya smiled despite the pain in his chest from his wound. "I couldn't let that scum kill the woman I love" Jiraiya said causing Tsunade's breath to hitch and the tears to fall even harder. "I'm sorry that I never told you how much you really meant to me Tsunade. It was and will be one of my biggest regrets. You said that there was always a chance for redemption, I want you to tell Naruto that I am so sorry for all that I did to hurt him. Tell him that until now, I didn't realize how much he meant to me. As for you my queen" Jiraiya said reaching his remaining hand up to try and wipe away some of Tsunade's tears. "Everything will be okay Tsunade. This is the greatest death that I could ever wish for and one I don't deserve" he said causing Tsunade to sob.

Tsunade held Jiraiya close to her. "Please Jiraiya, don't leave me. Please, I love you too, just don't leave me. I need you Jiraiya, I can't live without you, I-" she was interrupted by a chuckling and cough from Jiraiya. "Are you kidding me? You're Tsunade Senju, the most badass kunoitchi of all time. You'll be just fine. But I do have one last request Tsunade. One thing I have wanted since the day I met you. A kiss" said Jiraiya with a soft smile that made Tsunade continue to cry. The woman nodded and lifted her love up slightly. She lowered her face to his and gave him what he wanted most feeling activity on his part as well. It was magical, something that she couldn't explain when her lips met Jiraiya's. Just as she started to get more into it, she felt Jiraiya stop taking part. Opening her eyes and separating her lips from his, she wondered what had caused him to stop. She sobbed as she saw the reason.

Jiraiya, student of the Third Hokage, first summoner of the toads, most powerful of the Sannin, teacher of the Fourth Hokage, and her love, was dead.

Lying in her arms, the man had a peaceful smile on his face. Tsunade cried in anguish and tightened her hold on Jiraiya. There she sat, Tsunade Senju crying into the arms of her true love.

* * *

(In front of the Forest of Death)

Orochimaru, Anko, Tayuya, and Kimimaro, stood across from twenty ROOT ninja. Orochimaru scowled at the ninja, recognizing who they were and reaching one conclusion. "Danzo is trying to take over the village" the Sannin said surprising his comrades. "Anko, Tayuya, Kimimaro, I know these types of ninja. They have no emotions, they have no hesitation, they feel no pain. You can't hold back, these ninja must be killed" Orochimaru said as he prepared to fight. Anko nodded and got ready to show these ninja who they were messing with. Tayuya got her flute out and growled at the ninja while Kimimaro looked ready to do what he must. "These cocksuckers are going down" shouted Tayuya which caused Orochimaru to sigh, Anko to smile slightly, and Kimimaro to hesitantly nod.

As if Tayuya's words got to them, a ROOT ninja sprang forward to kill Tayuya. Before he could get within five feet of the red headed kunoitchi, he was stopped by something obstructing his movement. Looking down, the ROOT ninja deep down was surprised to see the hand of the Snake Sannin going through his chest. Orochimaru pulled his arm out of the ROOT ninja letting him fall to the ground dead and then turned to face the other ROOT ninja. The snake summoner gave them a glare that sent fear into everyone who came across it. A glare that was so intense it caused even the emotionless ROOT ninjas to take a step back.

Off to the side, Anko smirked. Her sensei was serious now, these guys had no chance. "Congrats assholes, you just pissed off one of the legendary Sannin. And even worse, you've pissed off the Snake Mistress of Konoha" the purple haired special jounin said. Examining the ninja in front of her, Anko went through a series of quick handsigns before shouting "Striking Shadow Snakes". A multitude of large snakes quickly made their way onto the battlefield out of her sleeves before rushing forward to kill the enemies. A few of the ROOT ninja pulled out their swords while others prepared to perform a jutsu.

While the ROOT ninja were focused on the snakes, Orochimaru performed a few lightning quick handsigns and whispered, "Hidden Mole Jutsu". Immediately the pale skinned Sannin sank into the ground below, vanishing from sight. Orochimaru quickly made his way underground, under the ROOT ninja and the snakes, before rising quietly behind the enemies. The ninja were sending fire jutsu and cutting at the snakes so their attention was not on where Orochimaru was at the moment. Without a single handsign, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and performed the "Striking Shadow Snakes" jutsu but sent them out of his mouth. The snakes slithered forward quickly upon hitting the ground and took advantage of the enemy having their backs turned. Four of the snakes took the group of enemy ninja by surprise and took large bites into four of the ROOT ninja's backs. The snakes then proceeded to begin swallowing the four ninja whole.

Noticing that four of their comrades had gone down, the other ROOT jumped away from the area but two of them were caught by Anko's snakes which did the same as Orochimaru's snakes. With thirteen ROOT ninja left, the emotionless soldiers were focused on both of the snake summoners now. Focusing solely on Orochimaru and Anko would prove to be some of their undoing. While two of the ROOT were still trying to create distance from the snakes that were swarming and still pursuing them, they were stopped by an impact in their backs.

Kimimaro watched as two of the ROOT ninja tried to get away from his master's snakes and took matters into his own hands. Raising his hands, Kimimaro aimed his fingers at the enemies and began a barrage of bone bullets sending them into the backs of the two. He continued firing as they continued to embed themselves in the enemy. It didn't take long but it take a number of bone bullets to kill each one. Slightly panting at the chakra he had used and the fact that his body was still trying to recover after so many years of being sick, he prepared to go on the offensive against the remaining eleven ninja. That's when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking next to him, he saw Tayuya give a soft shake of her head.

"You've done your part Kimimaro. Let me take a crack at it. After all, I've been wanting to kill these motherfucking cocksuckers since I saw them" the red head said in her normal vocabulary. Going through handsigns, Tayuya shouted "Summoning Jutsu: Doki" as Orochimaru and Anko's snakes chased after the remaining ROOT ninja.

Orochimaru's eyes widened when he saw what Tayuya was doing. "TAYUYA,NO" the Sannin shouted, but he was too late. Tayuya finished the handsigns and the ground began to rumble causing the snakes to slow their approach and the ROOT ninja to look around. Ten seconds after the rumbling had begun, a large arm shot out of the ground. It began to move before finding leverage on the ground and began to pull up. Slowly, the arm pulled up a figure that started to emerge. It took about twenty seconds as the large creature rose from the ground before it's complete form made it to the surface. Standing up, it shook the dirt and rubble off of it's body before going to stand behind Tayuya. The creature that was summoned was around twelve feet tall. It wore a dark green body suit and it's faded grey hair covered it's entire head and face. It wore a purple rope belt much like Tayuya's and held a massive club in it's arm.

Breathing a little harder, Tayuya calmed herself and pulled out her flute. Raising it to her lips, she began to play a wild and erratic melody that caused the summon to start moving. As she played, the monster that she had summoned began to walk forward, bringing it's club to rest in it's hand. The ROOT ninja snapped out of their short stupor before each of the remaining eleven started to throw shuriken, kunai, and send ire jutsu at the incoming figure. Despite everything hitting it, the creature continued to advance. As it got closer, it raised it's club and swung. The swing hit true, killing two ROOT ninja in front of it upon impact. One of the ROOT ninja tried to jump on the creature's back and stab him with his sword, but the creature simply took his club and swung it against his back squishing the ROOT ninja like a bug.

Tayuya continued to play her erratic melody until the eight remaining enemies caught on to what was happening and how she was controlling the creature. They each switched from attacking the summon and focused on the red headed kunoitchi. Two came after her with their swords but the white haired Kimimaro intercepted them and stabbed each of them with bone blades from his arms, killing both of them. At the same time, two ninja prepared to perform a jutsu against Tayuya but Orochimaru and Anko appeared behind them in an instant. Anko shoved her kunai into her ninja's temple, and Orochimaru violently broke the neck of his opponent turning his head a full 360 degrees and almost ripping off the ninja's head. The last two ROOT ninja had somehow forgotten that Tayuya was still playing her flute and were taken by surprise when they were grabbed by the creature from behind. Raising the two ninja in it's hands, it began to squeeze. A second later, it completely crushed the two ninja in it's grasp.

Looking at the battlefield, Tayuya smiled but was breathing harshly. "Take that cocksuckers" Tayuya said with a weak smile before falling backwards. Before she could hit the ground, Orochimaru appeared behind her and caught her lowering her into his lap. As she laid in her teacher's lap, Anko and Kimimaro quickly made their way to her side. Orochimaru gently stroked the girl's hair as she laid there.

"Damn it Tayuya. I told you that you wouldn't be able to handle that jutsu without the curse seal yet. Why didn't you listen" Orochimaru said with a small amount of tears threatening to spill. Tayuya smiled. "Eh, I had to do something. I couldn't let you three get all the credit. It was totally worth it" the red head said with her normal cocky attitude but sounding very tired. The Snake Sannin chuckled and wiped his eyes quickly while Anko and Kimimaro smiled despite a few tears falling. Orochimaru looked the girl over before smiling. "Well you're lucky that you didn't summon all three of the Doki or else you would have died. However once you have recovered, I am going to train you so hard that you will wish that you had summoned all three" said Orochimaru with a rare laugh causing all three of his comrades to look at him in shock. "What?" Orochimaru asked noticing their looks of confusion mixed with disbelief. He never got an answer.

Kimimaro looked at the girl that he had come to form a very close bond with and took her hand. "I'm glad that you are okay Tayuya" said the somewhat stoic Kaguya member. The girl lying down rolled her eyes before gripping his hand hard and pulling him down where she slammed her lips into his. It quickly escalated when she started forcing her tongue into the poor innocent Kimimaro, all the while doing this still on Orochimaru's lap who was trying to get them to separate and when that failed, trying to get away.

Anko looked at the scene and smiled. It was a perfect moment between her family. Her family. The words sounded so foreign to her but they made her feel things she had never felt before. With a sigh, she turned back toward the village. "Orochimaru sensei, you keep Tayuya and Kimimaro safe. I'm gonna go help out and see what's going on in the village" Anko said getting a nod from her master. Before she could take take off, Orochimaru removed himself from Tayuya and Kimimaro and walked up to Anko. The man pulled her into a hug causing her eyes to widen. "Be careful my daughter" the Sannin said in a soft tone making Anko have to wipe her eyes as she nodded quickly. "You know it" the purple haired kunoitchi responded before taking off with a smile.

* * *

(Uchiha Compound)

Sasuke and Fugaku were exchanging blows quickly, each one taking hits. Fugaku went to punch his son in the face, but Sasuke dodged by jumping back and performing a quick series of handsigns. "DRAGON FLAME JUTSU" the younger Uchiha shouted before sending a stream of intense flames directly at his father. Seeing no other choice, Fugaku activated his Susanoo ability. A light blue almost white chakra guardian rose in front of the man taking Sasuke's attack without trouble. Sasuke growled at the result before forcing chakra into in Mangekyo to summon his Susanoo. Sasuke's purple guardian rose ready for battle.

Fugaku looked across at what was now a battlefield. Seeing his son being able to summon something as powerful as a Susanoo so early in his life made him very proud as a father. It also raised a major question in his mind. How did Sasuke attain the Mangekyo Sharingan? Shaking his head, Fugaku returned his focus to his son and the Susanoo in front of him. "I must say that I am impressed at the power that you are displaying son. If only you would admit the superiority of the Uchiha Clan and join me" Fugaku said getting a scowl from his youngest son.

The young Uchiha narrowed his eyes at his father. "Just because we have certain advantages in combat does not make us greater than everyone else. You say that no one can beat an Uchiha, that we are the greatest in not only the village, but the entire elemental nations. You are wrong father. It falls onto my shoulders to show you the consequences of your arrogance. For once the Uchiha Clan is humbled, will we finally be free from the cycle of hatred that we have had such a big part in creating" Sasuke said as his Susanoo raised it's arm up and aimed it at Fugaku's Susanoo. "Today, I will save the Uchiha Clan. Solar Destruction" the boy shouted as a massive ball of fire began to form in his guardian's hand.

Fugaku smirked and made his guardian raise it's arms to it's mouth. Doing a series of handsigns, Fugaku shouted "Great Fireball Jutsu". At the same time each Susanoo sent their fireballs flying at one another. The two quickly collided and seemed to struggle to push forward. Fugaku and Sasuke's attacks fought against one another until Sasuke's attack got the better of his father's fireball and sped towards Fugaku's Susanoo. Sasuke's attack made impact creating a large explosion of fire which immediately turned into a pillar of smoke.

It took a minute and a half for the smoke to clear revealing Fugaku's chakra guardian still standing but with a medium sized crack on it's chest. Fugaku was breathing a little harder due to the amount of chakra that it took to keep his Susanoo active. Across from the man, Sasuke was breathing a lot harder than his father. It was taking most of his chakra to keep up his Susanoo and using ninjutsu while keeping up his chakra guardian made it even worse. Feeling a little lightheaded, the boy raised his head to look at his father.

"How could you do this? How could you dishonor the clan like this?" Sasuke shouted, gripping his fists in anger. He was trying to get his breathing under control but the task was easier said than done. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep up his Susanoo, but it was the only way that he would be able to beat his father. His thoughts were interrupted as his father rushed forward and leveled a powerful punch at his chakra guardian's face making a small crack above the eye and knocking Sasuke backwards into a wall of the Uchiha Compound.

Fugaku looked at his son in the rubble of the Uchiha Compound and shook his head hating what had to be done. With a raise of his hand, the elder Uchiha said quietly, "Amaterasu". The eternal black flame of the Uchiha Clan formed and sped forward towards Fugaku's youngest son who was starting to get up from the ground.

Sasuke got up from the ground in pain. His eyes hurt, his head hurt, his entire body hurt. Getting to his feet with some effort, he stood still encased in his chakra guardian only for his eyes to widen at the sight of a black flame racing towards him. Doing a series of lightning quick handsigns, Sasuke shouted "Dragon Flame Jutsu" spewing a stream of intense white flames to meet the Amaterasu. The two flames attacked one another, each one pulsating heat like no other. For a moment, it seemed that the Amaterasu had gained the advantage as the black flames started to overcome the white. But at the last second, the white that was left grew brighter and it's flame more intense. It quickly fought back against the eternal flame and before the Amaterasu could try to regain control, both flames exploded into one another creating a mess of fire and smoke.

Fugaku was panting heavily from the use of the Mangekyo Sharingan power and so he was understandably caught off guard when Sasuke in Susanoo form emerged from the great smoke pillar that had began to rise. Sasuke dashed forward and grabbed his father who was still in his Susanoo form. With his father in his grasp, Sasuke kicked off the ground and rose into the air with his father in hand. As the two rose, Sasuke began to level punch after punch at his father's Susanoo, each one creating a larger crack than the last in his father's chakra guardian. Reaching the peak of Sasuke's jump, the two were just about two hundred feet above the ground. Pulling his father close, Sasuke slammed his Susanoo head into Fugaku's creating a major crack that actually took off one of the eyes of his father's Susanoo.

After the headbutt, the two began to fall fast. Sasuke quickly turned so that he would land on his father while his father would hit the ground. When the two did hit the ground, the shock wave created from the impact leveled the entire Uchiha Compound and left both Sasuke and Fugaku lying on the ground. After a fair amount of time, Sasuke slowly rose to his feet. Looking at his father, Sasuke walked forward with great difficulty. His breathing was irregular and his vision was blurry, but he had something to do no matter how hard it might be. Reaching Fugaku, Sasuke was surprised to see his father smiling at his own defeat.

Fugaku looked at his youngest son as the boy approached and smiled. "You have done well Sasuke. You truly embody what it means to be an Uchiha" Fugaku said before coughing heavily. Sasuke looked at his father with tears in his eyes. "Father why? Why would you betray the village? Why would you order our clan to act in such disgrace? WHY?" Sasuke shouted through the tears. Tears started to fall from his face and his eyes widened when he saw his father's eyes start to leak tears.

"Sasuke, the Uchiha Clan has become corrupted. I never wanted to betray Konoha, but this was the only way for Konoha to be safe. The Uchiha Clan had to be destroyed in order to be reborn. I knew that you and your brother would be able to counter the clan's attack so I made sure that all corrupted members of our clan joined in the fight. They, along with myself will die today and you and your brother will lead the new Uchiha Clan. It will not be easy, but you can do it. I know you can son" Fugaku said with a proud smile before another coughing fit began, this time blood coming from his mouth.

The younger Uchiha's jaw was dropped and his eyes had widened. His father had planned out a genocide of the Uchiha Clan. Not only that, but he did it so that Konoha would be safe. He put the lives of the innocent above the lives of traitors, even though the traitors were part of his own family. Rushing to his father's side, Sasuke tried to lift his father up only to find that he had no more strength left in his body. "Father get up. We can go to the hospital and get you help, you just have to get up" Sasuke pleaded.

Fugaku smiled at his son even more but shook his head. "Sasuke, you have been taught through Uchiha tradition that only an Uchiha can beat an Uchiha. In most ways that notion is false. However, the idea of only an Uchiha being able to best another comes from something so few experience from our clan. When an Uchiha and an Uchiha battle one another, it is the same as a fight with any other opponent. However, when both use a Susanoo, the loser's chakra network destroys itself which kills the loser. Only an Uchiha can do this to another Uchiha. That is where our greatest phrase and fallacy comes from. So my son, there is no point. I am to die soon and I am so happy that you will be the last face I see. Take my eyes for they may help you in your journey one day and always remember that I love you my son" Fugaku said, his smile never lessening as his eyes slowly closed for the last time.

Sasuke sat on his knees with tears falling from his face. He didn't care that ninja weren't supposed to show emotions, he didn't care that he wasn't supposed to cry. His father was dead.

* * *

(Ruins of the Hokage Monument)

Itachi landed where the great Hokage Monument used to stand with his Mangekyo Sharingan activated. His eyes were narrowed in hate as he stood across from the elder of Konoha, Danzo Shimura. The old man had an evil amused smirk directed at the Uchiha. Beside him, a ninja with a hood covering his face stood ready to protect his master. The smoking village of Konoha did not serve as a distraction for Itachi, only motivation. Motivation to end Danzo's life and any other slaves he may have that would disrupt the peace of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Ah Itachi, it is nice to see that you survived. I would have been disappointed if the legendary Itachi Uchiha were to be killed off so easily" the old man said, chuckling as Itachi radiated a dark hatred and massive killer intent that would have caused heart attacks to lesser ninja than he. "I give you this chance Itachi. I will call off my ROOT and all of the additional forces that I have gathered so long as you surrender the Hidden Leaf to me" the offered with a dark smile. His smile lessened however when Itachi in all of his bloodstained and burnt glory laughed.

Itachi's laughter ended. "What do you think will happen when the Yondaime arrives. Do you truly believe that you and your men can defeat the greatest ninja in history? You are a fool Danzo. I will not surrender and neither will Konoha. The Will of Fire will burn through the darkness of your ROOT. And by the end of this day, I will stand above your corpse" Itachi finished before rushing forward, ninjato in hand. Just as the blade was about to reach the elder, it was blocked by the ninjato of the hooded ninja next to Danzo. Jumping back, Itachi narrowly dodged a sword swipe from the hooded ninja.

The figure slowly walked forward and raised his hood causing Itachi's eyes to widen and Danzo to smirk even wider. The figure had short black hair but his most noticeable feature was his eyes which were now blood red with a design unique to himself. A design that made itself known in a Mangekyo Sharingan.

The hooded figure was Shisui Uchiha.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone, hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving! I was going to make the Konoha Uprising a 2 parter, but I started thinking that a third part was necessary. Anyways, I want to thank all of you for the continual support of this story and I hope that I have done you all justice in writing chapters that you can enjoy. I'll probably close out the uprising next chapter and we may check back in on what's going on with Naruto. Well, enough of my rambling. I hope you all have an awesome Thanksgiving and I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

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